ILOVEYOU Virus

New releasePublished May 23, 2026Updated May 23, 2026

Overview

Case Overview

ILOVEYOU was a mass-mailing VBScript worm that began spreading on May 4, 2000 through Microsoft Outlook with the subject "ILOVEYOU" and the attachment "LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs." It copied itself through address books, overwrote files, and attempted to steal internet-access credentials, causing worldwide disruption across governments, businesses, and personal computers. Philippine investigators centered public suspicion on Onel de Guzman and associates, but the case exposed a legal gap that prevented a straightforward criminal adjudication at the time; it later became a landmark in the history of social engineering, malware response, and cybercrime law reform.

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Case At A Glance

Onel de Guzman authored and released the worm

Moderate confidence

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Status

Disputed

Key evidence

Investigators and reporters focused on a rejected AMA Computer College thesis proposal involving password capture or credential access, treating it as an important link in the attribution narrative around Onel de Guzman.

Open question

How much of the public attribution record would have survived a fully litigated criminal case?

Latest timeline item

Jun 1, 2000: Electronic commerce reform follows the outbreak