Much like websites, email should be evaluated to identify false or misleading content. This can make evaluation more difficult, as some of the email and Web site hoaxes are made to look quite authentic. Often they are jokes, but many also may contain dangerous or problematic information.

Email Hoaxes

Though most Internet users have heard that some e-mail should not be believed, even the most sophisticated users sometimes believe some of the many hoaxes, urban legends, chain letters, and concealed viruses that get passed around through email. For example, if you received this email, what would you do? Would you open the attachment? Would you reply or send it on though others? Or would you delete it? Whenever you receive an email from someone you don't know, never open the attachment. It may include a virus. No matter how curious and tempted you may be, delete it.

Tip If an e-mail that you receive says, "Send this to everyone you know" assume it's a hoax and check carefully at hoax sites on the Internet before sending it to anyone. When in doubt, don't send it out!

It is important to learn how to tell the difference between e-mail hoaxes and true content, and to know how to educate your students and friends about email hoaxes. Hoaxbusters was created by the CIAC (U.S. Department of Energy Computer Incident Advisory Capability) to educate people about hoaxes. Hoaxbusters discusses more than ten different categories of hoaxes and gives examples of each. You may actually recognize some of the hoaxes listed. You probably have also forwarded a couple of them on to your friends. Visit Hoaxbusters to find out more about the different kinds of hoaxes.

About.com's Urban Legends and Folklore site offers links to a wide variety of resources related to hoaxes, organized by subject area. They also provide hints and tips on how to recognize an e-mail hoax. Hoaxes can involve virus warnings, chain letters, fraudulent offers, rumors, and urban legends, and phishing scams. It's useful to be familiar with a few sites that will let you rapidly check on the veracity of e-mail you receive. Explore a few more sites to learn more about hoaxes. After looking at some sites, make your own list of helpful sites to use and send to friends.

What should you do when you receive an e-mail hoax from someone you know? Look over this Example Letter that might be sent to and educate those who e-mail a hoax. Now using what you have just learned about email hoaxes, compose your own short email draft to use when friends send you an e-mail hoax. Remember to include a few of the Web sites above. This will allow you to have a useful letter ready to quickly paste into a return e-mail.