Bob Whalen slm521mc – Elective Assignment – Hoaxes & Myths

I have had just a little experience with hoaxes, myths, and legends, maybe because I’m a bit skeptical of them. I usually try to remember the cliché, if it is too good to be true, then it usually is. This reminds me of the days of the old chain letters – either good fortune would come your way, or you would be cursed if you didn’t continue the letter.

I have had some hoaxes via email. One I recall was to continue to send a notice to ten people and I would eventually receive some money lie a thousand dollars. Another involved free passes to Disneyworld. People who send these hoaxes usually play on other people’s interests. I was amused by the story of the “Exploding Toilet”. I have heard a variation of that before. It always seems to be the guy that takes the brunt of the incident, so you wonder who is telling the story.

Learning about myths and legends helps the user be aware of possible hoaxes. A traditional legend is believable about some aspect of life, and probably appears in different versions. Almost like a regular rumor, but only via email. People can look for typical warning signs, as phrases, “Send this to everyone.” Also look to see how technical the language is. Usually there are three parts. First is the hook, to get your interest. Second, is the threat that warns you what is going to happen if you don’t carry out the request or encourages you by suggesting you can win something. Third is the request - what you must do in order to win the hook! These hoaxes play on peoples good nature to want to help others.

You can protect yourself by validating the information in the hoax and not passing it along. The message always receives more credibility if it has the name of the person form the original message. Look for the name. You can also go online and check with the CIAC at http://ciac.llnl.gov/ to validate the request to see if it has the CIAC signature. You can also check http://www.first.org. for the PGP signature. You can also go to http://snopes.com to verify information that is updated frequently

Consumer awareness and education is good advice to avoid hoaxes and legends.