'Pokey' computer virus hits U.S., slow to spread

TOKYO (Reuters) -- A computer virus featuring the cuddly Japanese cartoon character Pikachu has been found in computers in the United States, leaving some operating systems devastated, an anti-virus software firm said on Thursday.

A official at Japan's Trend Micro said the virus was first detected in the United States late last month and had been nicknamed "Pokey" by U.S. experts.

The Pokey virus works in a similar way to the notorious "Love Bug" virus that caused billions of dollars in damage worldwide earlier this year, but the Trend Micro official said it did not appear to be as devastating.

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"Luckily, it seems to be rather slow-moving and hasn't spread very far," he said, adding that the virus had yet to appear in Japan.

Officials at Nintendo Co., the video game company that owns the copyright to the wildly popular Pokemon characters, of which the cuddly, yellow Pikachu is one, were unavailable for comment.

The virus strikes when users open an attachment to an e-mail, sending it into their computer and in some cases making it unusable. It simultaneously sends e-mails to everyone in the user's address book, giving it the potential to spread quickly.

When users open an attachment, an image of a pensive Pikachu appears on the screen with the ungrammatical message: "Between millions of people around the world I found you. Don't forget to remember this day every time MY FRIEND."

The virus initially appears as an e-mail with the title "Pikachu Pokemon" and the English message "Pikachu is your friend."

The Trend Micro official advised anyone receiving the mail to delete the file without opening it.

Earlier this year, the Love Bug virus infected computers around the world, including in the Pentagon, Britain's parliament, and major companies. It was eventually traced to the Philippines, where a computer school drop-out is suspected of being responsible.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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