Got another one today from a well meaning friend. I like her a lot which is why I am gentler with her than I am with other people who send me such stuff.
You get an email that says “X is free if you…” or “send this to everyone you know!” or “send this to X # of people and…”. And it sounds good. Real good. Something in you wants to hit the FWD button in your email program. If this is you, STOP.
First thing you do is go to Snopes.com and look it up. Or do a simple Google search. In this case, I searched for “Ericsson T18 & R320 laptop promotion“. Yes, I already knew it was a hoax but I needed linkages. Oh, and both the “free” laptops? They’re cell phones. Old ones, too.
A few seconds will save yourself embarrassment and will help stop spam.
In the email I got today from my friend, there was even a statement that said “I did check it with Snopes and it is legit”. Don’t believe it. If a promotion needs such a statement, then it probably is false.
You know an email’s claims are a hoax if:
- There are more than 2 FWDs in the subject line.
- There are more than 3 exclamation points in the subject line and more than 3 in the post itself. (Unless they are really excited to get an A on that math test, delete it.)
- More than 2 words in all caps. THIS IS REAL!!!! THIS IS NOT A HOAX!!!!!!!!
- Tells you to send it to everyone you know.
- Tells you to send it to X number of people and something great will happen.
- Tells you to “keep this email going!!!!!!!”.
- Offers you something free or something free will come to you if you do what the email says.
- Says some sick kid wants X number of emails/cards/phone calls so he can get money to cure him of his cancer.
Just keep in mind that no business will give away free things based on number of emails you send; there’s no way to trace how many times or how long or how often an email is sent in order for something to happen to you or for you; and while our hearts go out to sick kids, puppies, and veterans, they gain nothing from forwarded emails.
Two final things: if you absolutely cannot resist forwarding an email, leave my name off of it and/or delete all the other forwarded addresses in the body of the email.