What is a Hoax?
A Hoax, translated as “joke” or “deception,” is an email or other type of message distributed using the chain method. It is not the typical “I love you” message with a PowerPoint full of hearts and kisses, telling you to send it to all your friends. That’s a sappy message. It’s also not a message like, “if you don’t send this to 10 people, a plane will fall on your head.” No, that would be a stupid message. A Hoax is openly false, and its goal is to spread itself (like all chain emails) through deception and the good intentions of the sender.
Typical Examples of Hoax:
- A child from who-knows-where has been kidnapped, lost, or is sick; please forward the message to help find them. (Also valid for dogs, cats, elderly people).
- Hotmail is going to close, or become paid, or they need to know if accounts are active (valid for Facebook, WhatsApp, Tuenti, etc…). If you send this message, yours won’t close, or it will be free, and it will change color to prove it’s true.
- If you send this message, Microsoft (or another big company) will pay you 5 cents per message. There is also another variant where if you forward the message, the money will be given to a sick person or they will get a transplant, or something like that.
- The worst computer virus ever, recognized by CNN (or McAfee, or another company) is circulating on the Internet. It’s a really evil virus; if you press a key, your computer will explode. The email asks you to send the message to everyone to warn them.
Signs to Identify a Hoax:
There are multiple websites dedicated to compiling Hoaxes. However, the main characteristics that should make us suspicious of a message are:
- They are often poorly written, with colloquial language.
- They are not signed, and have unclear or incomplete data. Names, phone numbers (although they may be given and be false). In particular, be wary of messages lacking a date and a verifiable reference (a link to a newspaper or website, for example).
- Some invoke names of large companies or famous people, include logos, etc.
- They threaten you with misfortunes if you don’t send them, or offer rewards (for you or others) if you do.
- In any case, they request that you forward it to all your contacts and achieve the widest possible dissemination.
Conclusions
Although they may seem harmless, hoaxes share similarities with virus propagation. Likewise, some computer viruses use these chains to spread. Finally, the email addresses that appear in these emails end up being collected in lists, which are sold for illegal activities. Please, use your brain; it takes about 10 seconds to Google whether a piece of news is true before forwarding a Hoax.
