I encourage to you to visit these sites because these do an excellent job providing information about hoaxes and explaining the problems caused by hoaxes:
Treat all email virus warnings and stories as incorrect. You yourself can check out e-rumors and hoaxes by going to the above two websites that have a database regarding hoaxes and rumors.
When you receive a email message from someone warning you of a new virus, you can check out the threat by visiting the website of any major company that makes anti-virus software. These company sites contain accurate news and advice about protecting your computer. Here are links to five reputable companies that post lists of all known computer virus HOAXES and REAL virus threats:
Hoaxes usually say: "there is no fix for this virus." Email hoaxes are meant to incite undue fear. Any email hoax writer can claim to be someone credible. If a message has been forwarded to you multiple times, the odds are that message is probably a hoax.
Companies do NOT send out warnings to the general public via email. Instead information about recent virus outbreaks is reported to local and world news stations. Virus warnings you hear DIRECTLY on your own local or world news stations are usually valid because reputable news agencies should be verifying their news for accuracy before broadcasting the information.
Read my web page on ComputerVirus Protection for information about free software and details about protecting your computer. If your email provider doesn't have virus protection, then you are at risk of infecting your computer passing on a virus to others.