Don’t believe everything you read in e-mails

Filed under: Computing Tips,Scams - Mar 15 2007

You’ve probably received an email about a missing person, cell phone numbers being given to telemarketers, typing in your PIN number backwards at an ATM machine will summon the police, and other information you haven’t heard about from other news sources. Most of these mails urge you to forward it to as many people as you can. Many of these emails that get forwarded are just urban legends. How can you tell? The next time you receive an email that urges you to forward it on – first go to www.snopes.com. Snopes.com is a website that tracks scams, rumors and chain emails, and they investigate whether they are truthful or just an urban legend. The website does have pop-up advertisements. However the information provided is useful and can keep you from wasting time and the embarrassment of forwarding false information.

Other popular websites that you can check include TruthOrFiction.com and Hoax-Slayer.com.


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