Such messages are designed to panic computer users. The writer or writers email the warning and include a plea for the reader to forward it to others. The message then acts much like a chain letter, propagating throughout the Internet as individuals receive it and then innocently forward it. An example of a virus hoax is the "Good Times" virus -- which was written in 1994 and since then has circled the globe many times over. The best thing to do on receipt of such an email is to ignore and delete it.