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I have heard this a few weeks before April fools, so more likely to be true 
Thanks for the warning Peg
Thanks for the warning Peg
Posted: 16:01 Apr 02 2002
Mobile Phone virus warning?? -- [Hoax]
Update made by site staff: This post contains a description of a virus, don't be alarmed its a fake virus.
Not sure how true this is - it was sent before April Fools but you never know, here goes:
This email concerns everyone who owns either a private or office mobile phone. The information is as follows:
Do not answer your mobile phone if it displays ACE-?
if you receive a phone call and your mobile displays ACE-? on the screen - DON'T ANSWER THE CALL.
If you answer the the call your phone will be infected by a virus.
this virus will erase all IMEI and IMSI information from both your phone and your SIM card which will make your phone unable to connect with the telephone network. You will have to buy a new phone.
This information has been confirmed by Nokia and Motorola.
there are over 3 million mobile phones being infected by this virus in the USA alone.
Reason of edit: To avoid alarm with people reading only part of the thread due to the fact that the hoax information is only to be found way down the thread
(Edited by Chambler 04/04/2002 17:38)
Not sure how true this is - it was sent before April Fools but you never know, here goes:
This email concerns everyone who owns either a private or office mobile phone. The information is as follows:
Do not answer your mobile phone if it displays ACE-?
if you receive a phone call and your mobile displays ACE-? on the screen - DON'T ANSWER THE CALL.
If you answer the the call your phone will be infected by a virus.
this virus will erase all IMEI and IMSI information from both your phone and your SIM card which will make your phone unable to connect with the telephone network. You will have to buy a new phone.
This information has been confirmed by Nokia and Motorola.
there are over 3 million mobile phones being infected by this virus in the USA alone.
Reason of edit: To avoid alarm with people reading only part of the thread due to the fact that the hoax information is only to be found way down the thread
(Edited by Chambler 04/04/2002 17:38)
13 Replies and 2916 Views in Total.
Posted: 16:01 Apr 02 2002 
I really don't think that mobile phone viruses exist TBH. All of the ones that I have heard previously were hoaxes. But as said, better to be safe than sorry.
Posted: 21:43 Apr 02 2002 
Nope No such thing as a mobile phone virus. Besides it would only show "ACE" if there was someone called that in your phonebook
Posted: 21:46 Apr 02 2002 
The only thing I have ever heared that can happen to your mobile is a Text bomb ... wether that's true or not I don't know I'm sure someone will enlighten me
Posted: 09:40 Apr 03 2002
As far as I know there is NO WAY to get a virus on your mobile phone. Mobile phones do not EXECUTE code the way a computer does. EG When you get a virus it is usually from a program you opened which arrived with an email(an attachment) As you can't attach things to a txt message there is no way to send malicious code to a mobile phone. Also you can't send a virus by phoning a mobile..if you could do that then you would be able to send viruses to house phones as well...Moral of the story..Mobile Phone Viruses like The Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Honest Lawyers just DONT EXIST!!
Posted: 16:53 Apr 03 2002
by Milky
The Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Honest Lawyers just DONT EXIST!!
Posted: 16:55 Apr 03 2002
I did not know that!
The last time I had to have my mobile phone replaced it was because (I was told) I'd received a text message from an unknown source - which was true - when I opened it there was all kinds of gobbledegook on the screen. Then it just stopped, it wouldn't close the message or go back to a previous screen or anything. I turned it off and when I tried to turn it back on again, nothing happened!
I rang Nokia and they talked me through somethings over the phone, and finally told me to take it back to the shop I bought it from. The shop guy took it apart and faffed around a bit, and said he'd send it off.
After a week I got a shiny new phone, and the put the problem down to some kind of dodgey text message. I never questioned it, but maybe it was just a coincidence?
The last time I had to have my mobile phone replaced it was because (I was told) I'd received a text message from an unknown source - which was true - when I opened it there was all kinds of gobbledegook on the screen. Then it just stopped, it wouldn't close the message or go back to a previous screen or anything. I turned it off and when I tried to turn it back on again, nothing happened!
I rang Nokia and they talked me through somethings over the phone, and finally told me to take it back to the shop I bought it from. The shop guy took it apart and faffed around a bit, and said he'd send it off.
After a week I got a shiny new phone, and the put the problem down to some kind of dodgey text message. I never questioned it, but maybe it was just a coincidence?
Posted: 17:06 Apr 03 2002 Milky!!!
by Milky
Moral of the story..Mobile Phone Viruses like The Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Honest Lawyers just DONT EXIST!!
Posted: 17:14 Apr 03 2002 Well that sounds like a bug to me
by Desire
After a week I got a shiny new phone, and the put the problem down to some kind of dodgey text message. I never questioned it, but maybe it was just a coincidence?
Posted: 00:39 Apr 04 2002 
Well there are ways to make a Nokia Phone crash and one of them is with a really especial message. Its a bug in the software and therefor its Nokia's problem. Everyone that has a datacable for his / her phone can btw update their phones to a newer software version without the problem. Only this is for some reason seen as illegal in some countries. Don't know if tempering with your phone is in the UK.
by Desire
After a week I got a shiny new phone, and the put the problem down to some kind of dodgey text message. I never questioned it, but maybe it was just a coincidence?
Ok back to Pegs ace virus
check: http://vil.mcafee.com/dispVirus.asp?virus_k=99320&
ACE-? Mobile Phone Hoax
Virus Information:
Date Discovered: 1/16/2002
Date Added: 1/18/2002
Origin: Unknown
Length: N/A
Type: Hoax
SubType: -
DAT Required: N/A
In other words its a HOAX, in other words not true
These emails are only sent along for the sheer bliss of the people that thought it up. And it clogs up the internet (email servers) with 1000's of useless mails.
So please when you get such an email go to your favourite virusscanner's website and check in the virus definitions or just type some stuff like for this one "Ace mobile virus" in in google and make sure it really is a virus and not just a hoax / fake whatever. You only scare unknowning people with this and should there for be avoided.
And Peg don't feel bad about it a few 100.000 other people fell for it
Isn't email a nice thing
Posted: 17:28 Apr 04 2002
Btw more info on the sms bug and a fix check http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/55/23080.html
To fix the problem users have to put a SIM card into a phone without the bug. Alternatively if the SMS message is registered in a user's In-box this could be deleted with a SMS management tool on a PC
To fix the problem users have to put a SIM card into a phone without the bug. Alternatively if the SMS message is registered in a user's In-box this could be deleted with a SMS management tool on a PC
Posted: 17:31 Apr 04 2002 
Just to restart a mild panic... 
Apparently it is[ possible to create an SMS virus, just very, very unlikely that anyone will ever bother.
Think about it this way. A mobile is a computer, and you can program it if you know how. However, they tend to use a very esoteric form of machine code rather than a more normal programming language, which means it's not easy to learn. Also 160 characters is not a very big program... (although that could be seen as a challenge).
Add to that the fact that every time the virus is sent, it costs (unlike email).
Most hackers and virus writers are out to make a name for themselves (on the "hacker underground"!) with minimum effort. It's basically another form of grafitti. Hardly anybody will bother on phones, because there just won't be the easy exposure - no return on your investment!
Someone will try one day, and may even get famous for it, but it won't be a major threat... And you can guarantee it will make the news before it hits the emails...
Hence any warning like this is safe to ignore!
/me goes back to furtively installing Norton Anti-virus on his Nokia.
Apparently it is[ possible to create an SMS virus, just very, very unlikely that anyone will ever bother.
Think about it this way. A mobile is a computer, and you can program it if you know how. However, they tend to use a very esoteric form of machine code rather than a more normal programming language, which means it's not easy to learn. Also 160 characters is not a very big program... (although that could be seen as a challenge).
Add to that the fact that every time the virus is sent, it costs (unlike email).
Most hackers and virus writers are out to make a name for themselves (on the "hacker underground"!) with minimum effort. It's basically another form of grafitti. Hardly anybody will bother on phones, because there just won't be the easy exposure - no return on your investment!
Someone will try one day, and may even get famous for it, but it won't be a major threat... And you can guarantee it will make the news before it hits the emails...
Hence any warning like this is safe to ignore!
/me goes back to furtively installing Norton Anti-virus on his Nokia.
Posted: 16:40 Apr 05 2002