Virus hoaxes developed right alongside of real viruses, causing confusion about which are authentic warnings and which should be ignored. The goal of every hoaxer is the same as that of the virus creator, to have the hoax spread as wide and as far as possible. This can result in mail servers being shut down if the hoax is believed, or legitimate virus warnings being doubted if it is disbelieved. These hoaxes may be harmless to your system, but they do result in less vigilance and/or increased paranoia, both of which can have serious consequences.