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What is true and what is false?

When you receive an email 'story' from someone, do you stop and check if the item is genuine or is a hoax?

Find out before you send on that email or virus warning!

A number of sites on the internet enable you to check out whether that latest email you received is true or not, information on the latest internet 'scams' and whether that 'computer virus' notice you received is a genuine threat.

The following sections provide information on each type:

Hoaxes and Urban Legends

Hoaxes and urban legends often gain a life of their own. Sometimes they change as the political climate changes - so an email referring to John Howard might be re-written as one about Kevin Rudd and be circulated again.

How do I check if it is true?

You have a couple of options:

  1. Go to a website that specialises in these matters.
  • Snopes - information on the major ones.
  • Truth or Fiction - run by a Christian.
  1. "Google it".
  • Copy a line of text out of the email. Go to a search engine such as Google and paste the text. Put double quotation marks around the text and click on 'Search'.
  • This usually gives a range of results (sometimes from the ones listed in No 1 as well as from other hoax sites.

 

Computer Viruses

Have you checked to see if the latest warning about a computer virus is for real?
Find out BEFORE you send it on to others!

These sites give the latest updates on computer viruses, telling you whether they are a hoax or are real!

The Virus Information Library at McAfee contains information on the latest viruses, the Top 10 viruses and a searchable library of viruses.

This Symantec site lists hoax computer viruses (makers of Norton Anti-virus).

Internet and Email Scams

Do you know whether that email you received is a scam?

Here are some ways of checking...

This company provides reports of the latest internet/email scams. They also offer a FREE monthly update on scams and urban legends so you won't get taken in by them.

A few years back, the Nigerian fraud emails were common - One purported to be from a Lawyer at the High Court relating to the death and will of a Pastor Polycarp Ekeocha who had apparently left us lots of money!

This was a scam - they really wanted to get us to pay money in fees etc and to provide bank account details.
Click here to read about it on ScamBusters.

Again, copying a line of text and checking online will often provide information as well.