How to Unmask E-mail Hoaxes

Is that virus alert real? Will forwarding a message you've received really fund cancer research? Should women really worry about two-way mirrors in dressing rooms? Before you send the latest e-mail warning to your 50 closest friends, learn to spot e-mail hoaxes by following these guidelines.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet Access
• Computers

1. Use common sense when reading e-mail warnings. Determine if the warning is logically feasible before forwarding the message.

2. Look for specific facts such as names, dates and locations. If this information is absent, you're probably dealing with a hoax. If you find any, a quick Internet search should help you determine the veracity of the story.

3. Check computer virus Web sites if you receive a virus warning. Many sites offer up-to-date information about currently circulating viruses and virus hoaxes.

4. Visit and search Web sites and message boards dealing with urban legends for information pertaining to the e-mail at hand.

5. Check newspapers and television news programs to see if the story is being covered by non-Internet media. The print and television press are just as fast and much more reliable than e-mail.

Tips & Warnings

• E-mail messages that claim to employ "tracking software" are never true. You won't help any sick children or receive $1,000 from Bill Gates just for forwarding a message.

on 3/2/2006 Time after time the news media is sucked into hoaxes. They are your worst source for good information. Keep your eye on well known virus software sites, they make their living being right about virus warnings.

on 11/22/2005 Never open any attachments until you have checked with the sender that they have indeed sent an attachment.

on 11/22/2005 Virus warnings don't usually come from Microsoft, Intel, AMD or AOL. Real ones come from SARC (http://www.sarc.com) or McAfee. SARC also maintains a list of hoax virii.

on 11/22/2005 Here's an idea! For people with Hotmail who've been sending a letter around saying it will shut down, it helps to look at the Hotmail home page and read that it says: Hotmail is not shutting down and they only inform customers directly!! Geesh!!

on 11/22/2005 If it says in any way, "This is a true story no matter how crazy it seems," it probably isn't.