A new kind of E-mail virus

[Sasskitten]

This is what my friend sent me

BIG VIRUS COMING !!! PLEASE READ & FORWARD !!!

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp
Hi All, I checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are gearing up for this virus!
I checked Snopes (URL above:), and it is for real!!
Get this E-mail message sent around to your contacts ASAP.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!
You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,' regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately.

This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.
COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US

I just figure I should do more then sen it in an e-mail. So I pu it up here.

[YoKenny]

Put the following in your http://www.mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm  HOSTS file
127.0.0.1  123greetings.com
127.0.0.1  www.123greetings.com

These are included in hpHosts file already:
http://hosts-file.net/?s=Download

[Sasskitten]

Ummm what are hphost files?

[YoKenny]

Ummm what are hphost files?

Click on the first link.

Additional info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_file

[Jtaylor83]

The email that your friend sent you is a hoax.  The Postcard virus is called the storm worm. It doesn't actually destroy the entire zero sector of the hard disk. The Postcard virus is not new, it's been around in multiple variants for a long time.

[DavidR]

This is no new virus but as Jtaylor83 mentions a hoax. Never copy warnings to your address list, this is the most common indication that it is likely to be a hoax when the email asks/suggests you do that.

Even if it weren't a hoax, then there are many new variants of email social engineering trying to make you visit a site (and really get infected of offer to sell you the solution to your problems), run the attachment to save you from said 'hoax' virus alert.

Never open attachments or click links in unsolicited emails even those that are supposed to come from your friends, the from address is easily forged as a means of lulling you into a false sense of security.

[epp]

Have a look at Hoax Busters. 

Over the past several years, I have received occasional e-mails (all hoaxes) about this or that virus, which had the exact same text as the original poster quoted, except that the subject (e.g. Postcard from Hallmark) was modified.