Email Hoax
Hoax emails are not uncommon and all users should be aware of the various types circulating and how to identify if an email is a hoax. While some hoaxes are relatively harmless there are those that are particularly deceptive and costly.
The following covers the main categories of email Hoaxes, which are:
Give Away Hoaxes
Give away hoaxes are emails advising of company give aways. Usually the competition will require that you forward the email to X amount of friends to qualify. The email may suggest that the company is able to track the path of the email and is able to verify that you have sent it. However, please note that a company is not able to track the path of an individual email that has been repeatedly forwarded.
Scam Chains
Scam chains are emails that appear to be sent from a legitimate company, however the content of the email is a scam or con.
Sympathy Hoaxes
Sympathy hoaxes target peoples emotions. They usually request help or sympathy for someone who has had a problem or accident. Similar to Give Away Hoaxes these email may suggest that a company is able to track the path of the email and is able to verify that you have sent the email to your friends, therefore due to your action the company pledges to donate X amount to some charity.
Malicious Code Warnings
Malicious code warnings are email warnings advising of Trojans and/or Viruses that are simply not true.
Urban Myths and Legends
Urban myth and legend have found their way to emails. With legends such as Email Tax, Kidney Harvest and Flesh Eating Bananas to name a few.
Confirming if the content is genuine
Use myZOO Search and search for keywords in the email or search for the actual email on an anti-hoax site.
What action should you take?
Do not reply to the sender or forward the email. Simply delete the message.
Anti-hoax sites
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
http://hoaxbusters.ciac.org/HBHoaxIndex.html
http://www.arachnophiliac.com/hoax/