Neighbourhood Watch: STN 1 South YarraRegion 1 Division 2 Stonnington, Victoria, Australia.
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Neighbourhood Watch: STN 1 South Yarra
Region 1 Division 2
Stonnington, Victoria, Australia.
You are here: Home>Newsletters>April 2003
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April, 2003 Hoaxes, scams, and urban legends - the downside of email FOR people who use email, a part of their neighbourhood now has a global dimension. Email is the big success story of the internet. It is cheaper and faster than a letter, less intrusive than a phone call and less hassle than a FAX. Using email, differences in location and time zone are less of an obstacle to communication. But it does have a downside. One such problem is the email hoax or scam. Email hoaxes are the online equivalent of urban legends. Email hoaxes may entail a variety of subjects from virus warnings to false stories of plans to start taxing email. Often they are harmless in nature, but they can cause unnecessary chaos and sometimes fear. Most people have good intentions when they forward these email messages. They are probably unaware that they are circulating an email hoax. It is important to recognize when you receive a hoax so that you can play a part in stopping it from spreading. With email hoaxes, it is often difficult to distinguish whether or not it is truth. Many sound like they are doing you a favour by warning you of something dangerous (a computer virus, medical risk, etc.). The email will often look legitimate by falsely citing reputable sources. Questions Here are some questions to consider if you suspect an email may be a hoax: • Does the email suggest that you email it to everyone you know? • Does the email start out by saying 'This is not a hoax'? • Can you see that the email has already been forwarded through a lengthy chain of people? • Does the email cite a source (i.e. CNN) but no date that the info was released or link to that source's web site? • Does the email sound too good to be true? (i.e. Microsoft will pay you $5 for everyone you send this to) • Does the email have an 'urgent warning'? • Does the email ask you to delete files? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may be dealing with an email hoax. Examples Here are some examples of email hoaxes, scams and urban legends. Needle in theatre seat hoax Typically they describe a woman who went to the cinema, sat down in one of the theatre seats, and felt a stabbing pain. She quickly jumped up and found the needle of a medical syringe sticking out of the seat. There was also a note that said, "You have been infected with HIV" or "welcome to my world...you now have HIV". The email goes on to say that the Red Cross have issued a warning about needles being found in theatres. It's a hoax. Foreign money laundering scam There are numerous versions of this scam and they are multiplying. They all involve a request or an offer from a foreigner that millions of dollars be allowed to pass through your bank or account and as a thanks for your help, you will receive a commission, usually 10 to 25 percent. These email's are usually intended for businesses and business owners although there are some that are offers of donations to churches and other non-profit organizations. It's a scam. Kidney harvesting urban legend This urban legend usually talks about a travelling businessman or a tourist who becomes involved with someone from the area where he is visiting. The next thing he remembers, he's awakening in a bathtub full of ice. He either reads a note that informs him that his kidneys have been harvested for an organ transplant, or he picks up the phone and reaches either the hotel operator or the police. Through the phone call, he learns that his kidneys have been removed by medical crooks and he discovers the stitched wounds where the surgery took place. Emergency personnel arrive on the scene to give him first-aid and take him to a hospital where he is described as being on a transplant waiting list. It's an urban legend. Avoid sending viruses - urban legend This message includes a tip to help avoid spreading viruses. Since many viruses automatically email themselves to people in your address book, create a new entry that will foil the attempt. Give the new entry the name of !0000 or AAAA and do not put any email address in the entry. That way it will be the first in the address book. When a virus tries to send itself to every address, it won't get very far because the familiar error message will appear that says it could not be sent because of either a missing email address or a bad address. It does not work. Scuba diver found after bush fire On the scene of a bush fire, fire officials discover the body of a man who was wearing a wet suit and complete SCUBA diving gear. An autopsy shows that the diver was not killed by fire, but by massive internal injuries. After puzzling for a while, the authorities realize that the diver was swimming off the coast in an area where water-dropping helicopters were getting their water...and the diver accidentally got collected along with the water and dropped on the fire. It's an urban legend. The 90# telephone hoax A person supposedly received a telephone call from an individual identifying himself as a Service Technician that was running a test on the telephone lines. He stated that to complete the test the owner should touch nine (9), zero (0), hash (#) and hang up. Luckily, the owner was suspicious and refused. Upon contacting the telephone company he was informed that by using 90# you end up giving the individual that called you access to your telephone line which allows them to place a long distance telephone call, with the charge appearing on your telephone bill. It is further alleged that this scam has been originating from a local prison. It's a hoax. What to do Virtually any chain email you receive (i.e., any message forwarded multiple times) is more likely to be false than true. Be sceptical. 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 rumours. Most importantly, never act on such rumours without first verifying their accuracy with your doctor or other reliable source. You will, of course, want to make sure you are not ignoring a legitimate threat. The sites listed below provide resources to help you check if what you received is a hoax or legitimate. If you do find that something is a hoax, you may want to send a polite message back to the party who emailed it to you letting them know that they've accidentally forwarded you inaccurate information. Web sites to check suspect email's www.snopes.com www.urbanlegends.com www.truthorfiction.com Reporting suspicious activity - a personal anecdote ONE of the basics of Neighbourhood Watch is for residents to report any suspicious activity which they observe. Last month I had the opportunity to put this into practice. At the next door block of units, a man was passing cardboard boxes through an open ground floor window to another man in the car park, who was loading them into the boot of a car. As I was unsure if it was someone in the process of moving or a burglary in progress, I rang ‘000'. Three minutes later, three police cars and the divisional van were on the scene. The tenant of the flat was a little surprised at the sudden appearance of police outside his window - while he was in the process of moving! The police officers explained the situation to the surprised tenant, and told me that I was right in calling ‘000'. They were not upset that my information proved to be incorrect on this occasion. So, please don't hesitate in calling ‘000' if your suspicions are aroused. Just a thought... If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled? Do Lipton Tea employees take coffee breaks? Next Meeting Disclaimer:
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Last modified 19 August 2003.