Rumors, Hoaxes, and Urban Legends
From time to time, people on the internet receive email warning them about some urgent problem and encouraging them to pass the warning on to everyone they know. These sorts of "electronic rumors" can spread widely and have the potential to cause unnecessary panic and even harm. They cover a variety of topics. Some are true, many if not most are hoaxes that were started long ago, and have spread through innocent email forwarding thereafter.
Because email is so easy to redistribute, both true and false information circulates on the internet very quickly. Let's try to minimize the level of false information by following some guidelines and doing some research before you consider re-distributing email that you have received.
Guidelines
- Does the email make sense?
- Does the person who sent the email know for certain that what's in it is true? Relying on someone who relies on someone who relies on someone else can leave you in a shakey position.
- Does the person who sent the email have enough expertise to verify what's in the email?
- Does the email provide some easy way to check it for validity. Is there a name of a person or organization or a phone number? If so, call them.
- Can you think of some simple way to check out the information? Perhaps a local or federal agency? A newspaper? Try asking one or two other folks on the list if they can help.
- If you do decide to distribute the email make it clear to all of the recipients whether or not you did any independent checking and what you discovered.
- If we send you any such email. Don't take our word for it! Check it out for yourself! If you plan to stay on the internet for the next several years this will prove to be a good habit.
- If you don't have the time to check it out, don't be in a hurry to send the email out. Wait until you have time to investigate. If something is a really serious and urgent issue, it will probably find its way to the rest of the internet without you, so don't feel as if you're the only one who can get the information out.
Research
One way to get quick information about warnings that you get via email is to use an internet search engine like one of the following:
Enter some of the text from the email and see what comes up.
- Break the Chain: Stop Junk E-Mail and Misinformation
- This web site was set up to educate and inform people about chain mail circulating on the internet.
- F-Secure Virus Hoax Warnings Page
- Lot's of good information and web links.
- HOAXBusters - A Public Service of the U.S. Department of Energy
- Scambusters - Urban Legends
- Snopes.com - Urban Legends Reference Pages
- Vmyths.com - Truth About Computer Virus Myths & Hoaxes
- Lot's of good information and web links.
- Urban Legends and Folklore
- YAHOO Urban Legends Page
- This page contains information about many if not most of the myths and rumors that circulate on the internet from time to time along with authoritative information about their origins. You've probably already heard or seen some of them!