OK. Hate is a strong word. Maybe I should say dislike. And why do I dislike hoax emails?

First, they add more junk to my inbox that I really don’t need or want. But the real reason I dislike hoax emails is that they usually come with a post script like “Is this true?” I often consider returning the hoax email with a message like, “I don’t know, what you think?”

So what are hoax emails? Emails that attempt to trick the receiver into believing that something that is false is in fact true. Some of the most popular hoaxes are:

• Osama bin Laden has been captured or hanged – video at 11. Sorry, he’s still loose.
• Microsoft sending a virus notification. Microsoft doesn’t send virus notifications.
• Stolen kidney or some other body part. Nope, never happened.
  
• Free trip to Disney World. Give me a couple of grand and I’ll take you myself.
• Congress wants to charge a 5 cents per email tax. Don’t give the politicians any new ideas.
• Dialing some *90 number or other code – scammers can use your phone. Sorry. Wrong number.
• KFC doesn’t use real chickens. Oh, really?
  
• Unlock your car with your cell phone. Works if you use the cell phone to break out a window.
• National cell phone do not call list. No such animal, boys and girls.
• Needles on gas pump handles. And I bet they are infected as well with some rare disease!

• Needles in the theater, needles in pay phone coin slots, needles in the McDonald’s ball pit. We sure do love our needles.

So here is what you can do to cut down on this garbage being sent. Do a quick Google search or use whatever search engine you prefer and see what it turns up. You would be surprised how simple this is to do and you will save us all some time!

Oh, and there’s a great site to check for hoaxes called Snopes.com.

PS And I don’t sign online petitions, either! LOL.

[tags]email, hoax, scammer, google, snopes[/tags]