Email Hoaxes and Why They Work !

Spotting the latest email hoaxes may be easier than you think!

There are thousands of email hoaxes moving around the Internet at any given time. Some may be the latest email hoaxes around. Others may be mutated versions of hoax messages that have travelled the Internet for years. These email hoaxes cover a range of subject matter, including:



* Supposedly free giveaways in exchange for forwarding emails.
* Bogus virus alerts.
* False appeals to help sick children.
* Pointless petitions that lead nowhere and accomplish nothing.
* Dire, and completely fictional, warnings about products, companies, government policies or coming events.


The most famous and possibly the most effective scam is the "Nigerian Scam" where a plea is made to assist an unknown foreigner to move a large sum of money out of his country. In the process of this shell game, the victim provides his bank account information to the scammer, and the bank account is drained of money. The scam works because it appeals to the victim's greed, and also implores the assistance of the victim in setting a wrong right. There are several variations on the theme of this scam.

Another indicator is that hoaxes tend not to provide checkable references to back up their spurious claims. Genuine competitions, promotions, giveaways or charity drives will usually provide a link to a company website or publication. Real virus warnings are likely to include a link to a reputable virus information website. Emails containing Government or company policy information are likely to include references to checkable sources such as news articles, websites or other publications.

A third indicator is often the actual language used. Email hoax writers have a tendency to use an emotive, "over-the-top" style of writing peppered with words and phrases such as "Urgent", "Danger", "worst ever virus!!", "sign now before it's too late" and so on, often rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS for added emphasis. Paragraphs dripping with pathos speak of dying children; others "shout" with almost rabid excitement about free air travel or mobile phones. As well, some email hoaxes try to add credibility by using highly technical language.

Before forwarding an email, ask yourself these questions:

1. Does the email ask you to send it to a lot of other people?
2. Does the email fail to provide confirmation sources?
3. Is the language used overly emotive or highly technical?

A "yes" answer to one or more of the above questions, should start some alarm bells ringing. These indicators do not offer conclusive evidence that the email is a hoax but they are certainly enough to warrant further investigation before you hit the "Forward" Button.

For more help : Visit How to Check Out a Hoax

Source: www.sans.org
www.hoax-slayer.com