Virus hoaxes can waste resources and time, and cause stress for many people.
One of the most common hoaxes warns that if you open an e-mail message with a particular subject line and read it, a virus will be unleashed that will erase your computer's hard drive. You cannot get a virus just by reading an e-mail message. You can get a virus by opening an attachment, but not just by reading an e-mail message. Sometimes it can be hard to tell if a virus warning is legitimate or not. As a general rule, however, legitimate virus warnings cite a specific source and provide a number to call for more information.