What is an Internet Hoax?
Internet hoaxes and chain letters are e-mail messages written with one purpose; to be forwarded to everyone you know, by YOU! The messages they contain are usually untrue. A few of the sympathy messages do describe a real situation but that situation was usually resolved years ago so the message probably has not been valid for many years. Hoax messages try to get you to pass them on to everyone you know using several different methods of social engineering. Chain letters are lumped in with the hoax messages because they have the same purpose as the hoax messages but use a slightly different method of coercing you into passing them on to everyone you know. Chain letters, like their printed ancestors, generally offer luck or money if you send them on. They play on your fear of bad luck and the realization that it is almost trivial for you to send them on. The chain letters that deal in money play on people’s greed and are illegal no matter what they say in the letter. Virus hoaxes are mo
