by Teri Robnett
(published in Brainstorm! June 2004)

Internet hoaxes and chain letters are email messages with one purpose: to be sent to everyone you know. Hoax messages try to get you to pass them on by playing on your need to help or enlighten other people. With the advent of the Internet and the fast, convenient way people can communicate by email, if something seems urgent, alarming, or inspiring enough, it can be established as fact in the minds of millions of people in a matter of hours.

Two classic examples of hoaxes have passed through our email boxes recently, both sent by well-meaning, intelligent individuals trying to warn friends and associates of potential dangers. The first was a warning about a computer virus, complete with instructions on how to check for the suspicious file and how to delete it. Fortunately, deleting the file did no real damage to the computer, although certain programs had to be reinstalled. The second claimed that a household cleaning product contained chemicals that would harm pets. Both emails were complete hoaxes.

How to spot a hoax

• The most common ingredient of a hoax is the "friend of a friend" story. They lack the details of who, what, where, when, and why. If you receive an email about an important or interesting topic that is lacking in specifics, you should regard it suspiciously.
• A large number of hoaxes have aspects that just don't fit reality and which ought to be a red flag about their credibility.
• One of the prime reasons email hoaxes have such long lives is that we all love the "wow factor." The false story sounds just true enough to be plausible, and sensational enough to merit retelling.
• The greatest fuels for hoaxes are terror, prejudice, revulsion, or when they just give us the creeps. Tales that have a high "shiver factor" are almost guaranteed to get passed around. False stories can not only frighten or alarm us, but can also seem to confirm our fears, predictions, prejudices, and expectations. They can be a satisfying "I told you so."
• One of the most significant qualities is that they often feel like "insider" information that is somehow being missed by mainstream sources and is not going to be known any other way. People feel obligated to pass it on.

A special note on chain letters

Any email that says you are going to benefit financially by forwarding it to others is either a chain letter or a hoax. Both are virtually worthless and may be illegal.

Chain letters sound like a great idea on the surface. They ask you to add your name to a list of other names at the bottom of the letter and to send money to certain names on the list. In a few days, according to the email, money will be flooding your mailbox. The problem is that even if the chain were unbroken, the only people who would benefit are those who were at or near the beginning of the chain. Additionally, chain letters that use the mail and ask for money or anything of value are considered mail fraud under postal regulations. Even if the email specifically states that it is not fraudulent, it probably is.

There has also been a rash of emails that promise goods or money in return for forwarding the email. Some of them claim that a wealthy individual or a major corporation has promised to donate a certain amount of money for each forwarded email to a worthy cause. Others claim that a major corporation, such as Microsoft, will pay you for forwarding the email and in a few days, you'll receive a large check or some valuable product in the mail. Those are total hoaxes. At the present time, there is no practical way to keep track of the pathways of tens of thousands of forwarded emails, much less send you and everyone else on the list a check.

What to do if you think you've received a hoax email

DO NOT circulate warnings without first checking with an authoritative source such as your IT department, a technical support consultant, or your anti-virus vendor. There are several hoax sites where you can find out if the warning has already been declared as a hoax, or if it is legitimate. Three of our favorites are Hoax Busters, Truth or Fiction, and the Urban Legends Reference Pages. If you do not find the warning at the hoax sites, don't assume that it's legitimate. It just may mean that they have not yet seen this particular hoax. When it comes to computer viruses, first check the web site of your anti-virus company, like www.norton.com or www.mcafee.com, for information about most known viruses and hoaxes. In the end, simply using your common sense will go a long way to eliminate Internet hoaxes.

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