| I don't know about you, but I get a lot of emails (chain letters and hoaxes) that can be very unnerving at times. They tug at your emotions and even your "guilt" if you don't send them along as you've been instructed to. Personally, I can do without these annoying messages - since I've been "threatened" with the infamous "poisonous perfume samples", various terrorists attacks, and just plain old bad luck. Yikes! So why do we continue to send them? If you receive something in your email and you're not sure if it's real or a hoax, here are some of the best sources to check first. Your email recipients will thank you! Snopes Urban Legends Reference Pages. You'll probably find just about everything at this site. About.com Urban Legends and Folklore [This is one of my favorite sites for looking things up that I receive.] Current Netlore - "Internet hoaxes, email rumors and urban legends." The Urban Legends Top 25 - "Last week's top 25 most poplular topics." *NOTE: You can also locate specific items by typing relevant words pertaining to a suspected Internet hoax or urban legend into the Search box at the top of any page on this site. Symantec Virus Hoaxes - "These hoaxes usually arrive in the form of an email. They contain warnings usually intent only on frightening or misleading." McAfee Security "Next time you receive an urgent virus warning message, be sure to check the list of known virus hoaxes at this page." Hoaxbusters "Interspersed among the junk mail and spam that fills our Internet email boxes are dire warnings about devastating new viruses, Trojans that eat the heart out of your system, and malicious software that can steal the computer right off your desk. Added to that are messages about free money, children in trouble, and other items designed to grab you and get you to forward the message to everyone you know. Most of these messages are hoaxes or chain letters." Vmyths.com "Learn about computer virus myths, hoaxes, urban legends, hysteria, and the implications if you believe in them. You can also search a list of computer virus hoaxes & hysteria from A to Z." |
| HOAXES, URBAN LEGENDS, VIRUS WARNINGS AND CHAIN EMAILS |
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