Atlanta
Writers Group
Feature Article - May 2007
Urban Legends: Putting an
End to Bogus Emails
By Isha Edwards
About 98% of e-mail petitions and warnings are not true at all,
partly true or not current. Typically, these messages serve more as a ploy on
people's emotions: fear, curiosity, or philanthropy than as a valid source of
information. Among popular messages are e-mails that admonish readers to sign
their name and forward to everyone in their address book; petition readers to
send money, say a prayer, or support a terminally ill child, wife or relative
right away; missing children; Bill Gates/Microsoft, AOL, Gap, Old Navy, Bath
and Body Works, or other companies who give money/gift certificates if you
forward an e-mail; boycotting gas stations; needles in gas pumps; a cell phone
Do Not Call registry; parking lot scams; international individuals who pay to
transfer large sums of money to a U.S. bank, and safety warnings for women.
So, why do these messages continue to fill up e-mail in boxes?
Typically referred to as an urban legend, the lifespan of a misleading message
(usually in the form or a petition, warning or hoax) can be kept in circulation
for years. Most often, bogus messages are forwarded among friends and family
without thought or discretion. In some cases, the circulation of bogus e-mails
causes public uproar, frustration, and loss of time and money on a company or
individual’s behalf to correct misinformation.
One hoax currently in circulation warns readers of a
flyer-hijacking scheme targeted at women. The creditability of this warning was
only increased because a member of
With bogus and even spam mail on the rise, it is essential for
e-mail users to scrutinize messages (especially those from family and friends)
both for content and validity before forwarding. Although they are not the final
authority on any one topic, Snopes is a reliable
urban legends “buster”. Unlike anonymous e-mail authors, Snopes
provides a bibliography for each message so that readers may check sources for
themselves.
To check the validity of a message, visit www.snopes.com. Put
the title or main theme of the message in the search area. Snopes
in turn will provide a detailed explanation of the e-mail to include
origination date and facts affirming or annulling the content.
Use www.google.com to do a subject search on for messages not
found on Snopes. If there is one, government or media
related issues should be researched through the medium quoted. Government
officials are the best resource for clarity on laws or legislation. A more
direct source for government information is www.whitehouse.gov. If an incident
occurred in a particular city, use that city’s local media: radio, TV or
newspapers to research the incident. If local or national media outlets have
not reported a message as major or breaking news, it is less likely that it is
true.
Researching e-mail before forwarding ensures
that meaningful, accurate messages are sent to readers. Additionally, taking
time (normally less than one minute using Snopes) to
research the content of a message will limit the lifespan of an urban legend,
all of which prove to be nothing more than a waste of time and for some, money.
Isha Edwards is a freelance writer who resides in