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War against hoaxes (How to Identify a hoax mail) Internet is full of
hoaxes. And it is important to debunk the hoaxes and deliberate
misinformation, in order to keep internet as a source of credible
information. I think you must be
familiar with chain letters which purports to give you very important
information but contain utter rubbish. Unfortunately most netizans are not
fully aware of these mail chains which are designed to pull their leg. Without researching the
factual claims made in a forwarded email there's no 100% sure way to tell it
if it's a hoax or not, however there are some common signs to watch for. I think the most important
sign would be the telltale phrase “please forward this to everyone you
know”. Also if the message purports to give you extremely important
information that you've never heard of before or seen elsewhere in other
legitimate sources; then be very suspicious. Most importantly, please,
DO NOT participate in hoax mongering by forwarding such suspicious mails to
your friends. That is the least you can do to fight the hoaxes. You can do
little more by becoming an anti-hoax activist (like myself) and spread the
message of how to identify a hoax. Here you'll find a list
of common signs to watch for: - Look for the telltale
phrase, 'Forward this to everyone you know.' / ‘Tell your friends about
this’ / ‘Do not keep this information to yourself’ - If the message purports
to give you extremely important information that you've never heard of before
or seen elsewhere in other legitimate venues, be suspicious. - Note whether the text
was actually written by the person who sent it to you. If not, be skeptical - Look for statements like
'This is NOT a hoax' or 'This is NOT an urban legend.' They usually mean the
opposite of what they say. - Watch out for overly
emphatic language, the frequent use of UPPERCASE LETTERS and multiple
exclamation points !!!!!!! - If the message seems
geared more to persuade than to inform, be suspicious. Like propagandists,
hoaxers are more interested in pushing people's emotional buttons than
communicating facts. - Read carefully and think
critically about what the message says, looking for logical inconsistencies,
violations of common sense and obviously false claims. - Look for subtle or
not-so-subtle jokes, indications that the author is pulling your leg. - Check for references to
outside sources. Hoaxes will not typically name any, nor link to Websites
with corroborating information. - Check to see if the
message has been debunked by Websites that cover Internet hoaxes (see below). - Virtually any chain
email you receive (i.e., any message forwarded multiple times) is more likely
to be false than true. Be skeptical. - Hoaxers usually try
every means available to make their lies believable -- e.g., mimicking a
journalistic style, attributing the text to a 'legitimate' source, etc. - Be especially wary of
health-related rumors. Most importantly, never act on this type of
'information' without first verifying its accuracy with your doctor or other
reliable source. List of websites
dedicated to debunk hoaxes, chain letters and urban legends. ·
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