This is one of those "chain letters".   "If you don't send to everyone,
you'll self-combust" type of thing.

Here is an E-Mail we sent out to our users.

Although I can't say for 100 percent certainty, I think the AOL4FREE.COM
message that's going around is another
hoax like the Goodnews, PenPals, Deeyenda, and IRINA e-mail that purport to
be viruses, but they are not.  When
you see something in the e-mail message that says, "You must send this to
as many people as you can.", it generally
indicates that the hoaxer wants the hoax spread as far as possible.  I'd
ignore the message and wouldn't forward it on.

Just to be safe, I'd delete any AOL4FREE.COM file or E-mail I received.
One, it is better to be cautious, and two,
the program written by a hacker is illegal, and if you did use it, you'd be
in hot water with the Feds.  See the article below:

Here's what I found about AOL4FREE.COM

   Hacker admits to AOL piracy
   By Jeff Pelline

   January 8, 1997, 1 p.m. PT

   A college student today pleaded guilty to  illegally creating a program
   that allowed
   him to access America Online for free.

   Known online as Happy Hardcore, 20-year-old Nicholas Ryan of Yale
   University entered
   his plea in federal district court in  Alexandria, Virginia. The felony
   offense carries a fine
   of up to $250,000 and five years in prison. Sentencing is set for March.


   Ryan used his illegal software, dubbed  "AOL4Free" between June and
   December 1995.
   He also made it available to others. The investigation was carried out
   by the Secret
   Service and Justice Department's computer crime section.


   AOL called the case a "legal milestone,"  representing the first
   successful computer
   fraud prosecution involving an online network.


   "We hope this conviction sends a message to our members that AOL is
   dedicated to
   stopping hackers and their activities on the service and creating a safe
    online
   experience," said Tatiana Gau, the newly named vice president for
   Integrity
   Assurance at AOL.


   _____________________________________________________
   *in reply to gstigers's memo of  04/16/97 03:54:56 PM

                                                     Database:  Juan Criel
 Memo                                   Copyright ? 1997 Hewitt Associates
                                                                       LLC



To:       HP3000-L @ RAVEN.UTC.EDU
cc:
From:     [log in to unmask]
Date:     04/16/97 04:54:56 PM AST
Subject:  FW: Urban Legend Alert




I received the following from a co-worker, and it has 'urban legend'
written all over it. First of all, for those who aren't using it, Win 95
does not come with an anti-virus. And I would be surprised if one user
was running two anti-virus programs simultaneously. I do not know of any
way to send an email message to a Win 95 client that would just execute
when the message was opened. I would think that it would take sending an
executable as a clickable icon. And if you wrote a Trojan horse, would
you actually tell someone what you were doing as you were doing it, or
would you wait until you were done, if you told them at all?

Does anyone out there know if this is for real, or if it has been
confirmed as nonsense? I have to wonder if AOL has a promotion, and
someone is trying to scuttle it.

"It is essential" that such nonsense be nipped in the bud.

The attachment RFC822.TXT was no longer an attachment when I received
it, if it ever was. Needless to say, attachments in messages like this
make me be just a bit more cautious...

<snip>
>          VIRUS ALERT - DELETES ALL FILES ON HARD DRIVE!!!!!
>______________________________ Forward Header
>__________________________________
><snip>
>Please read the following messages.  There are some serious virus files
being >distributed through the internet.
>
><snip>
>
>        Please forward to all TL/MGR's.
>
>______________________________ Forward Header
>__________________________________
><snip>
>
>Anyone who receives this must send it to as many people as you can.  It
>is essential that this problem be reconciled as soon as possible.  A few
>hours ago, someone opened an E-mail that had the subject heading of
>"AOL4FREE.COM".
>
>Within seconds of opening it, a window appeared and began to display all
>his files that were being deleted.  He immediately shut down his
>computer, but it was too late.  This virus wiped him out.  It ate the
>Anti-Virus Software that comes with the Windows '95 Program along with
>F-Prot AVS.  Neither was able to detect it.  Please be careful and send
>this to as many people as possible, so maybe this new virus can be
>eliminated.>>
>
>DON'T OPEN E-MAIL NOTING "AOL4FREE"
>
>
>VIRUS ALERT!!!
>Be aware that there are  letters going around that you have won free Aol
>until 1998....or  AOL 4 free......  PLEASE DELETE...... contains a virus
>that will wipe out your harddrive...... after you download and it
>executes..... SUBJECT AREA OF EMAIL....... CONGRATULATIONS! You are a
>WINNER!  SUBJECT AREA OF EMAIL.......AOL 4 Free - Get AOL For Free
>SENDERS................................Matthews27 or VPVVPPVVP
>
>WARN YOUR FRIENDS!
>
>The following is an attached File item from cc:Mail.  It contains
>information that had to be encoded to ensure successful transmission
>through various mail systems <<RFC822.TXT>>.  To decode the file use the
>UUDECODE
>program.
>--------------------------------- Cut Here -------------------------------
--
>
>
>

Sent by gstigers







_____________________________________________________