Psst.. Pass It On.. I Found Out Its a Hoax..

When you receive an email telling you about a virus, what do you do with it Do you send it to everyone in your address book to help them protect themselves too

A virus warning is probably on its way to your inbox right now, claiming to be from a credible source and warning you of a dangerous virus on the loose. Beware. You might be tricked into taking part in an Internet hoax - chain mail virus alerts.

It is believed that 60% plus of the Virus Warnings in circulation are hoaxes. Further, your anti-virus software may already have a cure for this particular ailment IF it is real.

Even old hoaxes, which have been around for years, can make the rounds again, according to Trend Micro, an anti-virus software company.

There are a number of new hoaxes because they are so easy to write, you dont need to be a programmer, the anti-virus company spokesperson said.

What about all of those Get Paid to Send Email schemes Do you forward them along too, because you do not know if they are true or not, and figure why should I take the chance that it is not real These Get Paid to Send Email schemes are a fine example of hoaxes that can make the rounds again and again.

There have been at least a dozen incarnations of a Get Paid to Send Email hoax recorded at several of the hoax sites listed in this article. For the complete story, try the search terms Bill Gates or Nike or AOL / Microsoft at any of the Hoax sites.

Let me cut to the chase, no one has the technology to track emails sent through the Internet! No one will ever pay you for sending emails to everyone in your address book! This story is a verified hoax.

Here is a list of Hoax Information Sites that you can check the validity of the warning or the message in your email inbox. You might just be surprised by which items are hoaxes and which are not.

• <