BYU NewsNet - Never the fool?

An e-mail is sent from an African princess offering a large amount of money in exchange for help, along with a bank account number. After reading the e-mail many believe the story, but there are ways to check the legitimacy of offers and other rumors that circulate the Internet.

Many Web sites such as Snopes.com and Purportal.com have options to search for rumors, and inform if it is true or accurate. Another feature on TruthorFiction.com is a list of the “Top 20 Stories” that have appeared over the last hour. The Snopes.com Web site includes a message board where people can post rumors they have heard and discuss the accuracy of the rumor. The Web site also has a feature called a randomizer, where an urban myth is chosen randomly to allow people to learn about various myths.

“The primary purpose of an e-mail hoax is to prompt you to hit ‘Send’ before you can think critically about the information,” according to PlasticsMythBuster.org. “All capital letters, excessive exclamation points and overly dramatic language are tip-offs that someone is trying to appeal to your emotions — not your ability to reason.”

According to PlasticsMythBuster.org, there are many ways to spot a hoax e-mail. One sign is if the message asks to be sent to everyone the person knows. For messages that provide contact information, verify the source to see if it is true.

Many hoax e-mails often refer to a vague date rather than a specific day or time that the event occurred, allowing the information to seem important over a long period of time. Also if the message motivates someone to take action by affecting their emotions, it is most likely false.

“My main mission is to educate people about the shortcomings of e-mail chain letters as a means to distribute information to the masses, as well as to empower all users of the Internet to make informed, logical decisions about the information they distribute via these means,” said John Ratliff, founder and editor of BreakTheChain.org. “I encourage folks to look beyond the simple truth or falsehood of a message, and focus instead on how that message is presented and how the limitations of e-mail as an information tool can distort even the most innocuous of messages.”

PlasticsMythBuster.org also offers three suggestions on how to check facts before forwarding a message on. Contact a government agency or other expert organization that has a history with the subject of the message. Secondly, check the source of the e-mail. If the source cannot be identified easily, it is most likely a hoax. Check the organization’s Web site for other information about the claim. If nothing can be found, the organization should be personally contacted and asked about the claim. Finally, there are the many myth-busting Web sites such as breakthechain.org, purportal.com and snopes.com that can be searched for a specific message sent.

“Most of us don’t intend to spread a rumor, hoax, or urban legend,” according to the Web site, truthorfiction.com. “We intend to spread the truth. It’s fascinating, however, that in our desire to spread what we think is the truth, certain kinds of stories emerge that are repeated from person to person, year to year, century to century, and place to place.”