Origins: Quick on the heels of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center came a variety of 9/11-themed viruses and virus hoaxes, including the
above-referenced "WTC Survivor" virus warning. This one was a hoax from the very beginning: there was never a rash of disabled computers or deleted DLL files caused by e-mail messages bearing the title "WTC Survivor." Nevertheless, this hoax continued to circulate with increasing frequency as the calendar approached September 11 in 2002 and again in 2003, and it has now become a year-around phenomenon.
In early 2004 a version appeared that concluded with the bare-faced assertion, "PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE! THIS MESSAGE CHECKED OUT ON SNOPES AND IS OKAY." Actually, e-mail tagline to the contrary, the "WTC Survivor" virus warning has always been a hoax and has always been identified as such on this site. Still, it's flattering that some hoaxsters thought so highly of our site that they invoked its name when trying to pull people's legs.