Do you ever get stuff on your e-mail that just seems to good to be true - like the $250 Nieman-Marcus cookie recipe, or that AOL is trying a new e-mail tracking system is going to pay you $100 if you send their e-mail to 10 people?
Do you get stuff that scares you - like the perfume sample that knocks you out and when you wake up all your stuff is gone (Including sometimes your kidney?) Or like the hypodermic needles in gas pump handles?
Do you get stuff that makes you mad - like how our congressmen pay into a special retirement plan that lets them retire with full pay - even if they have only served one term or Madalyn O’Hair’s petition RM-2493 to remove Christian broadcasting off the air?
It causes a gut reaction in you so you immediately forward it to your e-mail list so that they can be glad, scared or mad too. But is it true?
Most of the time - it is not. But how can you know? Try this website - www.truthorfiction.com When you enter the site there is a column of options on the left hand side. Click on the first option “search” then in the search line type in one or two words from the e-mail, like “cookie recipe” or “perfume sample” or “petition RM-2493" It will then bring up the stories that contain those key words and you will find out that Nieman-Marcus never charged that for their cookie recipe and it is free at their website. You will find out that only one woman has ever reported being knocked out by a perfume sample - and they suspect her of embezzling funds from her company and this was the cover-up story. You will discover that petition RM-2493 is the oldest hoax on the web - going through multiple versions - and the petition has never existed.. All of these stories listed above are hoaxes.
If you get an e-mail that seems to good to be true, scares you, or makes you mad - check it out at www.truthorfiction.com And make sure it is true before you pass it on. This is a great site to browse through the stories that float around the web. Pick one of the categories on the left hand column and be amazed at some of the junque - like the 86 lb cat found on an abandoned government research site, or the cactus full of tarantulas that a woman unknowingly bought.
Posted by Valerie at September 5, 2005 10:00 AM