Web mailboxes are glutted with forwarded e-mails intended to create excitement, if not hysteria, in those who believe their contents. Messages promise thousands of dollars from the president of XYZ to people who forward the e-mail to unsuspecting “friends” in their address books.
Others warn of viruses attached to e-cards that will infect the recipient's computer system, causing it to crash in 2.5 seconds. Heart-wrenching pleas ask for prayers for the lost, the kidnapped, and the diseased.
E-mail Hoax or Not? Hoax Busters' Criteria
- Urgent: The email will be full of exclamation points and capitalizations. The text will express a sense of great urgency. Look for words like Urgent!! Warning!! or Virus Alert!! in the subject line.
- Tell All Your Friends: People are urged to pass this warning along. The e-mail may say something like Forward this to everybody in your address book or Send this to twenty people in the next ten minutes.
- This Isn't a Hoax: A disclaimer will insist that the message is not a hoax: This is for real or This is not a joke. Often, an effort is made to make the message seem important by citing a high-power executive. These false quotes attempt to give a sense of authenticity and sincerity to the message.
- Dire Consequences: The e-mail will predict serious consequences if the recipient doesn’t comply with the suggestion or request. The tone is intended to cause a sense of concern, compelling the reader to act on impulse.
- History: Marks in the left margin (>>>>) are one sign that the e-mail has been forwarded to many others. A long list of addressees is another. Anything that indicates that the email has been on the loose in cyberspace suggests strongly that the e-mail is a hoax.
While many virus alerts are hoaxes, some are real. It's a good idea to exercise caution. Hoax Busters recommends using and updating antivirus software regularly. Always check borrowed and downloaded programs and software. Never open a file that has a double file extension (xoxoxo.com.net). And most importantly, “never open attached executable files sent via e-mail!”
By being aware of the signs of an Internet hoax, you can easily recognize and delete annoying e-mails. Share this article and the information on hoaxbusters.com with with friends. Encourage them to practice safe computing, and agree not to forward these types of e-mails to one another.
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