The lazy person's guide to internet hoaxes, myths and legends

CHIPS, April-June, 2005 by Dale J. Long

Grains of Sand and Salt

I would like to reiterate that there is a kernel of truth at the core of every successful scam. Without some veneer of credibility, people would be less likely to fall for them. The only way to combat them is with a healthy distrust of anything that shows up uninvited, regardless of how lucrative, alluring or even patriotic it seems.

If you are interested in e-mail hoaxes, scams or urban legends, there are Internet sites that are useful to those of us trying to keep Zippy from increasing the amount of junk e-mail traffic clogging the Internet.

Please e-mail this article to all of your friends. If everyone passes this on to 10 other people, eventually the entire world will read it, and we could eliminate forwarded e-mail spam forever! Then again, maybe you should just tell your friends to read the article in CHIPS or on the CHIPS Web site!

Until next time, Happy Networking!

Long is a retired Air Force communications officer who has written regularly for CHIPS since 1993. He holds a Master of Science degree in Information Resource Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He is currently serving as a telecommunications manager in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Editor's Note: The Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer (DON CIO) offers an Information Literacy Toolkit on compact disc for use by government, industry and academia partners in support of government. The disc provides information on how users can become skilled in recognizing valid information on the Internet and in e-mail. There is also information about hoaxes online in the Exploring Online/Evaluating Information section. Go to http://www.don-cio.navy.mil/iltoolkit/ for assistance. Navy NMCI users who receive unauthorized e-mail should contact the NMCI Help Desk at 1-866-843-6624 for assistance. Other government users should follow your agency's guidance on handling chain and scam e-mail.