Virus Hoaxes
There are a lot of viruses out there. But some aren't really out there at all. Virus hoaxes are more than mere annoyances, as they may lead some users to routinely ignore all virus warning messages, leaving them vulnerable to a genuine, destructive virus.
Next time you receive an urgent virus warning message, be sure to check the list of known virus hoaxes below. Go to:http://vil.mcafee.com/hoax.asp
Remember: Never open an email attachment unless you know what it is--even if it's from someone you know and trust.
Remember that virus writers can use known hoaxes to their advantage. For example, AOL4FREE began as a hoax virus warning. Then somebody distributed a destructive trojan attached to the original hoax virus warning! The lessons are clear:
Always remain vigilant
Never open a suspicious attachment
From: McFee.com

I have had my computer crash several times because of viruses, just not updating my virus protection regularly is what got me into trouble. What a pain in the ass these hackers can be. I had thought about becoming a hacker at one time but then I saw the jail sentence handed down to Jeanson James Ancheta,20 years old, was sentenced to 57 months(that's 41/2 years,ouch!)in prison for hijacking more than 400,000 PCs over the internet, using them to build a botnet, then renting out the system to spyware distributors, hackers, and spammers. U.S. District Attorney Debra Wong Yang'soffice says it's the longest sentence ever for someone convicted of spreading a computer virus. U.S. District Judge Gary Klausner ordered Ancheta to give up $60,000 in cash, a late-model BMW, and computer equipment he bought with proceeds from the sceme. That was enough to scare me straight! I can use my computer skills for something that doesn't cause destruction!!!

Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished,
But he who gathers by labor will increase.
Poverbs 13:11
To catch a hacker story.