Jun 8, 2009
How to Check Out a Hoax, Chain, or Scam Email Story
If you have ever wondered how to check out a hoax email, the simple answer is: Snopes.com
My mother is notorious for forwarding emails containing essays attributed to famous individuals. I’ve received email on just about every topic, but some major reoccurring themes include: patriotism, immigration, parenting, safety warnings, politics, and religion.
Many of these emails will get a quick once-over before I’ll copy a significant phrase and paste it into the Snopes search field. Nearly every time I do, the email I received is found in the their database. More often than not, the email mom sent me is a hoax written by some unknown goof and attributed to someone such as Andy Rooney. This is done in attempts to give the actual no-name, opinionated writer’s words some validity.
I used to reply to my mom with a quick email informing her that the email was a hoax or total bs. I’m always sure to include a link back to the Snopes article. After some time, I have received fewer and fewer hoax or scam emails from my mother. I recently asked her about this (thinking that I had just annoyed her to the point of not including me on her sends anymore). She let me know that she is now checking the emails on Snopes prior to forwarding them on.
I’m proud of you mom 
Recent Comments