Security news
Security news9 March 2006
"Lipstick causes cancer" chain letter spreads across the internet
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| Users urged not to foward chain letters to their friends and family. |
Experts at SophosLabs™, Sophos's global network of virus, spyware and spam analysis centers, have warned users not to fall for a chain letter that is spreading across the internet, claiming that lipstick causes cancer.
Sophos technical support has received an increasing number of reports of the Lipstick chain letter from concerned computer users in the last few days. The emails claim that some brands of lipstick contain a dangerously high level of lead which can cause cancer.
However, Cancer Research UK has confirmed that the email's claims are not true, and Sophos advises that users should simply delete the email, and not forward it onto their friends and colleagues.
"Chain letters like this are too easily forwarded to friends, family and colleagues without people using their common sense. Stories like this become urban legends, constantly being repeated without anyone bothering to check the facts," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "Hoaxes and chain letters like this are not harmless - they waste time and bandwidth, and can be a genuine headache for support departments. Users need to be more skeptical, and ask themselves whether everything they are told by email can be believed."
Part of the chain letter reads as follows:
1. Put some lipstick on your hand.
2. Use a Gold ring to scratch on the lipstick.
3. If the lipstick colour changes to black then you know the lipstick contains lead.
Please send this information to all your girlfriends, wives and female family members.
The full text of the chain letter can be found here.
Sophos has made available a series of free, constantly updated RSS feeds which enable users to always find out about the latest viruses, hoaxes and chain letters.
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About Sophos
Sophos enables enterprises all over the world to secure and control their IT infrastructure. Sophos's network access control, endpoint, web and email solutions simplify security to provide integrated defenses against malware, spyware, intrusions, unwanted applications, spam, policy abuse, data leakage and compliance drift. With over 20 years of experience, Sophos protects over 100 million users in nearly 150 countries with its reliably engineered security solutions and services. Recognized for its high level of customer satisfaction and powerful yet easy-to-use solutions, Sophos has received many industry awards, as well as positive reviews and certifications.
Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com
