SR News: Budweiser Frogs (Budsaver) and Similar Hoaxes

Budweiser Frogs (Budsaver) Hoax

This hoax has been  circulating  for  at  least  four  months  and  we  have
hesitated to place a warning about this hoax on our hoax list because it was
but one of a number of very similar hoaxes.  Recently,  we  have  gotten  an
increase in questions about his hoax. Here is the  typical  text  from  this
hoax:

     "THIS IS A NEW TWIST.  Someone is sending out a very desirable
     screen-saver  the Budweiser Frogs.  But if you download it,
     you will lose  everything!!!  Your hard drive will crash!!!

     DON'T DOWNLOAD THIS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!
     IT JUST WENT INTO CIRCULATION YESTERDAY, AS FAR AS WE
     KNOW....BECAREFUL.
     PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE
     ...THANX BELOW

Note the typical use of  (excessive) capital  letters  and  the  request  to
"DISTRIBUTE THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE  AS  POSSIBLE".  (These  symptoms  should
immediately warn you that this is likely to be a hoax.) The above warning is
a hoax. Please do not forward it, but.....there are some points  you  should
understand:

     Any program could contain a trojan or a virus.  The  Bud  screen  saver
     could easily become infected or a version could be uploaded which is  a
     trojan. Just because this is a hoax, do not assume that  this  file  is
     automatically safe.

     Sometimes there are well meaning (but misguided) warnings to avoid some
     file which is a trojan or virus infected. They may  be  legitimate  but
     it's of dubious value  to  spread  warnings  like  this.  The  specific
     location of  the  file  (ftp  site,  Usenet  posting,  etc)  should  be
     mentioned. It is of little value to avoid a file based on its  name  or
     even its size.

     There are a large number of very similar hoaxes. These hoaxes all:
        1.Suggest you avoid a file with some specific name and
        2.Suggest you "forward to all your friends" and
        3.Do not provide a link to a site (such as this one) where some authority can provide details about the threat.

                                    Copyright c 1998 Stiller Research.
                                   Document Last Modified July 11, 1998.

[=- 㡫  ୠ ᪨ 蠫 //  #2 //  1998  -=]
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