Hoax leaves people cold on ICE

People should ignore emails that warn they are at risk of a mobile phone virus if they decide to create ICE (In Case of Emergency) entries on their phones.

The sick, malicious hoax has been rapidly spreading around the UK since national publicity was given to the ICE scheme after the London bombings. The point of scheme is to get people to store the word "ICE" in their mobile phone address book against the number of the person they would want to be contacted in an emergency situation. This would help ambulance, hospital staff and police contact these people more quickly.

However, the emails warn people that hackers are sending downloadable ringtones to mobile phones or a message that asks the person to set up ICE contacts. The emails go on to warn that if a person does this then they will be infected with a virus that targets all entries marked ICE. The virus changes the phones settings, runs up call charges while sending itself to all the ICE contacts in a person's address book.

Because so many people have embraced the idea of ICE, these emails are causing real anxiety amongst the public and proving a real headache for the East Anglian Ambulance Trust (EAAT). It set up the scheme, which is backed by Vodafone and thought up by Cambridge-based paramedic, Bob Brotchie earlier this year.

"This is causing us untold grief as people are ringing us to ask if it is true they can get a virus by using the ICE scheme. If the people who started these emails wanted to undermine the scheme and cause worry they've succeeded," said Matthew Ware of the EAAT.

Calling the hoaxers "brain-dead pranksters", security company F Secure said "This is nonsense. No viruses to exploit the "ICE" number exist or are likely to exist."

Vodafone also said there is no reason for a virus that could theoretically infect an address book just to target contacts marked ICE.

"Why go to all the trouble of just targeting contacts marked ICE - why not choose contacts such as Mum or Dad which are more likely to be in a mobile phone address book," said Vodafone.

Computeractive has contacted Ofcom for comment because these emails appear to fall foul of the Communications Act 2003. This says it is an offence to send electronic communications that Ofcom would deem as reckless and cause people anxiety.

If you receive one of these emails, don’t forward it to family and friends – just delete it.

Here is an example of the hoax email message:

"You know the email that's gone round saying put ICE then a contact number in case of emergency? Well don't do it cos....
Be very careful with this one - although the intention is great it is unfortunately phase one of a phone based virus that is laying a path for propagating very quickly. Passing it on is part of the virus interestingly, such is the deviousness of the people who write these things.
We have already seen the "second phase" where a program is sent as part of a ring-tone download that goes into your address book and looks for something it recognises - you've guessed it, an address book entry marked "ICE or I.C.E." or whatever. It then sends itself to the "ICE list", charging you for the privilege."