How to Learn the Truth about Scams and Myths

We all receive emails warning us not to do this and to watch out for that. Sometimes we receive emails that tell fantastical stories, apparently designed to entertain and shock us. When we receive these emails, we have two choices: pass them on or delete them.

Before we pass on an email with a warning or a fantastic story, it is thoughtful to spend a couple minutes making certain that we are not propagating a scam. Checking out scams and stories is simple with the internet. Just follow the steps below:

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• internet connection

1. ACCESS A RELIABLE ONLINE SCAM AND MYTH CHECKER
   
   I have found two reliable scam and myth checkers. (This is not necessarily an inclusive list, but it is two sites that I find useful.)
   
   These sites are Snopes: Urban Legends and TruthorFiction.

2. USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION IN EITHER OF THESE WEBSITES
   
   While both of these websites will have a list of the most recent or most pervasive eScams, they also provide a search function.
   
   To check out an email warning, story, etc, just type in two or three unique words from the email or story and press Enter.

3. VERIFY
   
   If you have used the best unique words from the email or story, you will very likely be presented with a copy of the exact email you received. Verify that this is the email or story you received. Then read the evaluation. Either one of these websites will inform you if the email or story is a scam, truth or fiction, or a combination of truth and fiction.

4. READ THE FULL RESULTS
   
   After you verify that Snopes or TruthorFiction is talking about the exact same email or story that you have received, then read the full results. You will be provided with an explanation of how it works, how it got started, etc.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not pass on emails making extraordinary claims without first checking them out to make certain they are not scams.

[alltrails]

on 11/21/2009 Excellent article on how to learn the truth about scams and myths. There are so many of these out there, I get one in my e-mail box about once a week. Some are really fascinating - too bad they're not true...Thanks for the tips!

[EarthMother]

on 11/13/2009 It's so easy to get wrapped up into believing everything that is written. Snoops is a great find. Smile!

[langleycornwell]

on 10/30/2009 Great suggestions for learning the truth about scams and myths. Sometimes I get the craziest emails making the most outlandish claims.

[jaredbangerter]

on 10/3/2009 Wow. Didn't know websites like that existed. :] Guess I now can verify stuff. 5*

[igislandgirl]

on 9/22/2009 Thanks so much for the good information!!! We could all stand to read this one.