"A Virtual Card for You" Email Hoax

The “Virtual Card for You” email is a hoax. There is no card, there is no virus, there is no risk, and (most importantly) there is no reason to forward the alert to everyone on your mailing list.

The hoax has been filling inboxes since 2001 under various names, including “A Card for You,” “Virtual Card for You,” “Postcard” and “Postcard from Hallmark.” While there was a virus going by the name of Postcard, it is unrelated, though it has managed to fan the flames of confusion on this particular hoax.

The hoax “Virtual Card for You” emails have taken various forms, but they ultimately all have the same root. They go something along these lines:

>>WARNING

PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERYONE ON YOUR CONTACT LIST!
DO NOT OPEN THE [VIRTUAL CARD/CARD/POSTCARD]. IF YOU RECEIVE AN E-MAIL WITH SUBJECT “A VIRTUAL CARD FOR YOU,” DO NOT OPEN!!! There is a virus spreading around the world that has been classified by [Microsoft/Symantec/McAfee/CNN] as the most destructive ever! No vaccine has been developed yet.

This virus acts in the following manner: It sends itself automatically to all contacts on your list. As soon as the [virtual card/postcard/internet flower] is opened, the computer freezes so that the user has to reboot. When the ctrl+alt+del keys or the reset button are pressed, the virus deletes [Sector Zero/.DLL files/0 track], destroying the hard drive beyond repair. Yesterday in [New York/a few hours/a Microsoft employee’s inbox] the virus caused panic.

Please pass this email along to all of your friends, family and coworkers. Forward this to everyone in your address book. I would rather receive this notice [25/100/3 billion] times than not at all.

Of course there are several tip-offs in the email itself, phrases that make it clear there isn’t a real threat:

• Bunk validation from an internet security company
• Fake report from a respected news source
• Improbable description of what the virus does
• Plea to pass the email along to anyone and everyone you know

The “Virtual Card for You” alert is nothing more than a joke. The made-up virus isn’t taking the internet by storm. The security companies that the pranksters suggest will back up their claim have actually come out and refuted the legitimacy of the virus. Quite candidly, the hoax email itself poses more of a potential threat than the fake virus it claims to alert users of. The purported virtual card virus didn’t cause mass destruction in 2001. It hasn’t been spread thousands of times since. And regardless of how many emails you get about it or what sources they use to validate it, the Virtual Card Virus isn’t real.

To avoid legitimate security threats (and these annoying hoax emails), the best approach is to use antivirus software. The best antivirus software includes comprehensive protection from all sorts of threats, including traditional viruses, worms, spyware, Trojan horses, phishing, hackers, spam and other types of malware. Whether the digital danger is real or just a phony, antivirus software can effectively detect, deter and defend from all sorts of security threats.

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