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 Well, this articles is about hoax and scams we receive from close friends, family or spams. First of all we will define what is this about. A hoax is an attempt to trick an audience into believing that something false is real. Generally there is some material object involved, which is actually a forgery. Unlike a fraud or con (which usually has an audience of one or a few), which are made for illicit financial or material gain, a hoax is often perpetrated as a practical joke. A practical joke that make us loose time reading it.
First question you make yourself while reading these practical jokes or hoaxes, is this message for real? Uhmm I just doubt it. We must learn to be skeptical, and think carefully before spreading a message to new users, friends or family. There are some simple things you can do to avoid being a carrier for Junk-mail Viruses chains: DON`T SEND IT unless either you KNOW the message is true. ALWAYS CHECK WITH THE ORIGINATOR before forwarding it! If the message tells you to do something, especially if that something involves changing in your account or sending a file or message over the network, CHECK WITH SOMEONE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAT YOU CAN TRUST. If you see or get something that really makes you angry, remember YOU CAN'T BE SURE WHO SENT IT!! Chain e-mail and Pyramid posts on Usenet are a scam, and most often, they are a crime. - Verify sites like Hoaxbusters.com, Internet Fraud Complaint Center (list of websites in complete article)
Finally, note that when April 1st comes up, the Net will be awash in phony messages, forged return addresses, pranks, and general amusing nonsense.
Here are some sources for research hoaxes: Disinfo.com
Find the latest information about conspiracy theories. Topics include aliens, human rights, mind control, drugs, entertainment, technology, and spirituality. Hoaxbusters
De-bunk those hoaxes! Check out the U.S. Department of Energy's Computer Incident Advisory Capability (CIAC) Internet Hoax and Chain Letter website. This website began February 1995 and is updated daily. Found out how to recognize hoaxes, what to do about them, and the history of hoaxes. The Internet Fraud Complaint Center
A partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), IFCC's mission is to address fraud committed over the Internet. There is a special section concerning new scams relating to the Sept. 11th attacks. Nonprofit.net
This site has a catalog dedicated to misinformation on the web, concerning topics on government information and viruses. Purportal
I love their slogan, "the bunk stops here!" If someone receives an e-mail message that might be a hoax, one can go to this page, type in a few keywords of the e-mail message and see if there has been any information de-bunking that message. This portal searches Snopes, CIAC, Symantec and Urban Legends. There is also information on how to report a fraud, file a complaint, and the latest virus news. Scambusters
This website claims to be the #1 publication on Internet Fraud. There are links to Internet scrams, recent e-mail hoax messages, questionable viruses, spam information, and their free e-zine. Snopes
Rumors of War is the title to this Snopes' website. Check out the truth and false statements. For other information concerning additional rumors, check Snopes homepage. Symantec
This Symantec Security Response website uncovers hoaxes on a regular basis. Listed, in alphabetical order, are the most common names of hoaxes. Included are descriptions of the hoaxes and the dates the hoaxes are reported. Truth or Fiction
Check out the latest e-rumors that are most widely circulated on the Internet. Sign-up for the latest eRumor Report via email. The report contains current information about new rumors. Urbanlegends
One of my personal favorite websites! An urban legend is described as appearing mysteriously and spreads spontaneously in many forms and it contains elements of horror. Included is an e-mail message about the Urbanlegends website--that the website is also a urban legend and funded by the government. For the latest e-mail messages surf to Urban Legends' Zeitgeist . VMthys
Find the latest information on virus myths.
Extended reading about this topic:
http://l.staff.umkc.edu/lordl/9-11-01-library/hoaxbiblio.htm
http://www.nonprofit.net/hoax/hoax_big.html |
