Virus Characteristics
This is
NOT an actual virus.
Below is a copy of the actual text which was passed around.
Subject: Fwd: (Warning)Windows 98 !
Microsoft slapped two more lawsuit against one teenager and
one retired
worker for using pirated Windows 98 software.
For your information on how Microsoft actually trace PIRATED
/ COPIED /
UNLICENSED Windows 98:
Whenever you logon into the internet, during the verifying password
duration. Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) will download a
SUB-REGISTRY ENCRYPTED HEXADECIMAL (containing all your
PROGRAMS serial
numbers installed into Win98!!) file from your Windows 98
registry. Then
they send this SUB-REGISTRY to Microsoft for verification. And ONLY
Microsoft knows how to decode this encypted hexadecimal file. If
Microsoft verified that the serial numbers are authentic,
then they WILL
REGISTER THOSE NUMBERS FOR YOU A-U-T-O-M-A-T-C-A-L-L-Y !!!
And if Microsoft denied those serial numbers, then they will send an
E-Mail to the ISP you dialled into and your ISP will start tracing
everyone who logons to their systems. That's why during
sometime for no
reason your internet started slowing down. And if your ISP
verified that
the SUB-REGISTRY ENCYPTED HEXADECIMAL file is yours, they
will send your
information over to Microsoft Singapore. And there they will decide
whether to take actions or not.
There is already 54 cases in Singapore regarding uses of
PIRATE / COPIED
/ UNLICENSED Windows 98.
I do not wish to see any of my friends get into this million dollar
tangle from Bill Gates, not that I hate this guy, but it really sucks
when they made such anti-piracy move into the software itself - thus
forcing everyone to buy Microsoft original's Windows 98, if
not they'll
slap you with a lawsuit.
Forward this mail to as many people you know, and who knows
you may just
save one of your friends from getting sued by Microsoft.