checked on Snopes. True threat.

You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled "POSTCARD," regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

If you receive a mail called" POSTCARD," even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately.
>
This is the worst virus announced by CNN. It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list. This is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.

Gretchen, dear. This is a hoax. Specifically, the email you received (with the text you posted) has been around for years. It is not really a current virus threat. There was such a virus in circulation a year ago, but it wasn't the ``worst virus ever'' and it wasnt mentioned by Microsoft or CNN. The email itself is meant to cause chain-mail problems.

See http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors...rd-for-you.htm

Gretchen: I'm sure you mean well, but I'm also pretty sure it's a hoax.

Yes, I know the reference to Snopes, but Snopes explains what happened when you check it on this page (scroll down): http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/virtualcard.asp

In addition, truthorfiction.com lists the verbatim wording of your post in its gray area at this address:
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors...rd-for-you.htm

However, we all need to be careful with any postcard, ecard emails entering our email. There are a lot of real dangers out there. And I thank you for your concern for all of us.

Beat me to it, capxxx.

Your point about the chain mail what I thought of as soon as I saw the line, "It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it".

Any message you get that tells you to immediately email the announcement to all your friends and all your contacts is always a hoax. Also all that nonsense about being the worst virus announced by "CNN" is clearly hoax language, also. CNN isn't some virus or software company. YOu never will find any legitimate virus announcement telling you to email something to everyone you know.

Yep,It's a hoax. It'been around for years with several variations. I saw it just before Christmas with a "Merry Christmas" message instead of "postcard".

Yes, the message is over the top and i should have edited it, but it "can be" a real virus under the postcard notification.

No problem to me.

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp