Budweiser frogs screensaver

Category: Virus hoax Discovered On: 01 Jan 2000
Type: hoaxUpdated On: 08 Jun 2006

Description

In 1997 the Budweiser beer company placed a screensaver on their website depicting the Budweiser frogs from their advertising campaign. Shortly afterwards an email began circulating warning people not to download the file:

DANGER!!!VIRUS ALERT!!! This is a new twist. Someone is sending out a very desirable screen-saver the Budweiser Frogs. But if you download it, you will lose everything!!! Your hard drive will crash!!! DON'T DOWNLOAD THIS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!! IT JUST WENT INTO CIRCULATION YESTERDAY, AS FAR AS WE KNOW....BE CAREFUL. PLEASE DISTRIBUTE THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE... This is WHAT THE SCREENSAVER OFFER WOULD LOOK LIKE! File: BUDSAVER.EXE (24643 bytes) DL Time (28800 bps):

At the time of writing, there is no known virus (or more correctly Trojan horse) which masquerades as a Budweiser Frogs screensaver. However, users should always be very cautious when downloading or using executables of unknown origin.

The email also contains references to other hoaxes and scares, such as BUDDYLST.ZIP, Returned or Unable to Deliver, and Win a Holiday.

One variant of this virus hoax mentions the Bug's Life screensaver BUGGLST.ZIP.

Threat Level

Threat Level:

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