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CUSTOMER SUPPORT
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| << Email Etiquette | Index |
| Email Hoaxes |
Is This An Email Hoax?
I receive email all the time asking me about the validity of the latest scare coming down the email pipe. I receive too much email from friends warning me about the latest threat to kill my computer. I thought I would write this article to help put this thing to rest.
Although many people think they are doing a good thing by forwarding pending tales of doom to their entire contact list, they are usually doing more harm than good. Don't get me wrong - I appreciate you would think of me and your other friends, but you will see later in this text why all the forwarded email isn't a good thing.
The Classic Hoax
An email hoax can be spotted by the following characteristics:
Warning. If you receive an email called [insert ominous subject here] do not open it. A report recently seen on [insert high-profile news agency here] provided proof that opening this email will [insert tragedy here] your [computer or hard drive or bank account]. Forward this email to [everybody or your entire address book or all your friends] and warn them before it is too late. Again, do not open the email called [repeat ominous subject here].
I read computer magazines, reports, journals, blogs, websites, ... on a daily basis, and I have yet to see a pending tale of doom from any one of these places. There is the usual article on what new trojans and spyware are circulating, but never anything saying "a special report will air on CNN tonight regarding ....". Because I stay on top of this stuff continually you can be assured, as a customer of mine, when there is a serious threat going around - you will know about it!
The Chain Letter
The other email annoyance is the typical chain letter most of us have seen:
Little [insert innocent child name here] is dying of a horrible disease. [his/her] ambition, before [he/she] passes into eternity is to collect as many [some innocuous object] as [he/she] can to get into [some world record publication]. This project is being sponsored by [usually a legitimate foundation] which specializes in making the dreams of terminal children come true.
Please pass this email along to [everybody or your entire address book or all your friends] and have them send all their [some innocuous object] to:
[insert address here]
Without adding my two cents, here is a snippet from the Make-A-Wish website, and you can check this yourself at http://www.wish.org :
Each day, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and its chapters receive hundreds of inquiries about chain letters claiming to be associated with the Foundation and featuring sick children. However, we do not participate in these kinds of wishes. Some names associated with these wishes are: Amy Bruce, Jeff DeLeon, Rhyan Desquetado, LaNisha Jackson, Nikisha Johnson, Jessie Anderson, Kayla Wightman, Craig Shergold, Craig Sheldon, Craig Sheppard, Craig Shelton, Craig Shelford, Anthony Hebrank, Chad Briody and Bryan Warner. The time and expense required to respond to these inquiries distracts the Foundation from its efforts on behalf of children with life-threatening medical conditions, and more importantly, can divulge information that is potentially harmful to a child and his or her family.
Only one of these requests is based in fact: In 1989, a then 9-year-old boy named Craig Shergold wanted to be recorded in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for receiving the most greeting cards. His wish was fulfilled in 1990 by another wish-granting organization not associated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He received more than 16 million cards. Craig is now a healthy adult, and he has requested an end to the mail. Mail that is received is forwarded to a recycling center.
Get Rich Quick
Just the title of this section should raise eyebrows and make people laugh - yet it is unbelievable how many people think this actually works ... and here is the classic email I know we have all seen, and lots of people have sent it around thinking there may be a glimmer of a hope this is real:
Subject: FW: Microsoft and AOL merger
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999
I am forwarding this because the person who sent it to me is a good friend and does not send me junk. Microsoft and AOL are now the largest Internet company and in an effort make sure that Internet explorer remains the most widely used program, Microsoft and AOL are running an e-mail beta test. When you forward this e-mail to friends, Microsoft can and will track it (if you are a Microsoft Windows user) for a two week time period. For every person that you forward this e-mail to, Microsoft will pay you $5.00, for every person that you sent it to that forwards it on, Microsoft will pay you $3.00 and for every third person that receives it, you will be paid $1.00. Within two weeks, Microsoft will contact you for your address and then send you a check. I thought this was a scam myself, but two weeks after receiving this e-mail and forwarding it on, Microsoft contacted me for my e-mail and within days, I received a check for $800.00.
Ok Yoda, how do we tell the difference?
The first rule of thumb to follow - if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Next, when you receive an email similar to one of the above you should highlight the message, and press the key called DEL. If you wish to explore further, simply type a few words of the message into a Google search box - I'm sure you'll get lots of hits. If you wish to read about any type of hoax, or unbelievable stories flying around the Internet, check out one of the following websites - you'll spend the rest of the evening reading - I guarantee it !!
http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org
http://snopes.com
http://hoaxbusters.org
http://www.vmyths.com
Last updated by Administrator (admin) on Feb 22 2007 at 17:09
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