PLEASE: Do Some Investigation Before Sending Those Dire Emails Warnings
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
January 10, 2010 6:14am CST
Okay for about the millionth time I've gotten an email from a friend of one of those dire warnings not to open certain emails due to it containing a horrible virus and oh my it's been verified by none other than Snopes.com itself....oh yeah?
Then there are those emails warning women in particular about scam situations where a scenerio is given where a woman is molested, given a drug, money stolen...blah, blah, blah ..and guess what? It's verified by Snopes.com.....oh yeah?
Uh like yo? Does anyone actually bother to go to the Snopes.com website to see if any of this crap is legit? Bet not...For the millionth time I went to Snopes and looked up the particular dire warning was supposedly confirmed by Snopes as being real...and guess what? IT'S NOT. Most of these email warnings have been circulating for years and are outdated but are nonetheless still circulating around and are pure fiction and no doubt started by someone who had a lot of time on their hands.
Now yes, we must be cautious about emails....I think most of us are computer savvy to know NOT to open attachments by people we don't know...for instance another popular one was about receiving an e-card from a supposed friend..well if you're that unsure, email the person and ask...did you send an e-card--it's that simple.
YES--use caution..but please, please, please before you send these dire warnings supposedly confirmed by Snopes.com do me a favor.........look it up yourself to see if it's real....you're going to find out 99.99% are bogus
How about you are you guilty of forwarding these types of forwards? Did you believe them? Did you bother to investigate the truth of them?
Me? I investigate them first...then I forward that dire email to all listed to point out how bogus it is.
Then there are those emails warning women in particular about scam situations where a scenerio is given where a woman is molested, given a drug, money stolen...blah, blah, blah ..and guess what? It's verified by Snopes.com.....oh yeah?
Uh like yo? Does anyone actually bother to go to the Snopes.com website to see if any of this crap is legit? Bet not...For the millionth time I went to Snopes and looked up the particular dire warning was supposedly confirmed by Snopes as being real...and guess what? IT'S NOT. Most of these email warnings have been circulating for years and are outdated but are nonetheless still circulating around and are pure fiction and no doubt started by someone who had a lot of time on their hands.
Now yes, we must be cautious about emails....I think most of us are computer savvy to know NOT to open attachments by people we don't know...for instance another popular one was about receiving an e-card from a supposed friend..well if you're that unsure, email the person and ask...did you send an e-card--it's that simple.
YES--use caution..but please, please, please before you send these dire warnings supposedly confirmed by Snopes.com do me a favor.........look it up yourself to see if it's real....you're going to find out 99.99% are bogus
How about you are you guilty of forwarding these types of forwards? Did you believe them? Did you bother to investigate the truth of them?
Me? I investigate them first...then I forward that dire email to all listed to point out how bogus it is.12 people like this
36 responses
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
16 Jan 10
Thank goodness there is a site like Snopes that can verify whether these emails are real or not
@dloveli (4366)
• United States
10 Jan 10
Hey Pye! You know what I find to be hilarious? Even when you tell people listen this may be a virus so be careful, their curiosity gets the best of them. THey open it without checking and then cry because they have a virus. To be honest when someone tells me that a certain site may be a virus I usually listen. I am not the smartest egg in the dozen when it comes computer problems. I am the person that turns it on and goes to their email. I am learning thru experience and friends. One of the first things I was told regarding viruses is not to take a threat lightly. However, I also learned that it only takes a few seconds to investigate a theory. You are absolutely right when you say that we should investigate and take care of these things before jumping to conclusions. In my case, I have friends like you to give me the heads up. From your numbers here on myLot I think its fair to say that you know what you're talking about. I cant tell you how many times you have given me some very helpful advice. Dl
5 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
16 Jan 10
I'm glad to think that some of my advice has been helpful to you. The most dangerous emails that may contain viruses are those with attachments...the golden rule is to never open up attachments from people you just don't know
1 person likes this
@dloveli (4366)
• United States
16 Jan 10
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I dont open anything where I am not familiar with the sender or the organization. Besides being smart thing to avoid viruses, it also tends to keep you away from scams as well or people offering to lend money. Just DONT DO IT! Thanks Pye! dl
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
10 Jan 10
Yes I do check it out with Snopes and if it is not true then I email the person who sent it to me letting them know it was crap. BTW I have also used Snopes quite a few time to verify discussions/warnings posted here on myLot.
5 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
11 Jan 10
Yes I do that too...email the person back that the email "alert" is bogus and usually provide the links to the Snopes thing itself disclaiming it
@AmbiePam (85432)
• United States
10 Jan 10
I never pass those things on. If the people I have in my address book hate the forwards as much as I do, then I certainly don't want to annoy them with it. I've heard some ridiculous ones. Some have been so off base that I've e-mailed the original sender proof that the forward was fake. I don't do that often, but if they send me one that could seriously scare people if they thought it was true, I want to make sure they know it's bogus.
5 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
16 Jan 10
I've heard some wacky ones as well...I think honorable mention should be the email one time that I got informing me that the FBI was sending me money
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
10 Jan 10
Snopes is a terrific site, with the 6 'doomsaying' emails I got yesterday it got a lot of use. I subscribe to their weekly bulletin which highlights a lot of the junk going around, kind of like fair warning.
Besides the emails that prey on peoples fears of computer viruses or of getting molested (or worse), I dislike the emails about missing or critically ill children. Checking with Snopes, one finds that most of these cases have been solved, or are closed. It's a great place to find updates before forwarding them. For a parent that has lost a child, it's unthinkably cruel to still be receiving 'Get Well' cards years after their child has passed. It's also nice to read about those who have survived their ordeals and are living happy lives now.
We look both ways before we cross a street (or we should), maybe we can also 'check before we forward'?
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
16 Jan 10
Wow I wasn't even aware one could subscribe to Snopes' website to get updates...gonna do that right now...and thanks for telling me that!!!
1 person likes this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
10 Jan 10
I have, in the past, been guilty of forwarding those types of emails. Usually I would only forward the ones that came from someone that I felt would never steer me wrong and the ones that sounded logical. Then one day I got one that seemed a little out there so I did go to snopes and check it out. Boy was I surprised. Not only was that one listed as a hoax, I quickly saw references to some of the others that I had seen over the years. I then realized that my friend, who would never tell an untruth, had been led astray by someone else who she apparently trusted as well. So I forwarded her the snopes report and she was so embarrassed. Although she still forwards emails she has never sent another 'warning' to me. It's not that hard to check the accuracy of these things and a person should know what they are talking about before they pass them on. We would not want to get a reputation as a liar.
I had to laugh about what you said about opening e cards. Especially since I just did, in fact, send you a pm to see if you had sent me an e card before I would open it. Of course I only did that because it hadn't been too long ago that you started a discussion about your email address being hacked.
5 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
16 Jan 10
That's probably one of the reasons people do send/forward those emails...they get them from people they trust so figure they're for real. It does make one wonder who thinks these emails up though...must be people with a lot of time on their hands
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
10 Jan 10
I hardly even read those types of emails. I get my info from a few anti-virus sites about email scams, virus warnings etc etc. I hate forward emails and if I decide a cute or inspirational one is wqorth sending, I copy the parts and email that to froiends not forward it.
HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
2 people like this
@someonesmom (5761)
• Canada
10 Jan 10
Hi Pye,
You'll likely be surprised to see me here, as I haven't been actively involved for around a year now. I still receive your discussions in my in box though, as well as a handful of other friends.
You've made a very good point here. Having read through the comments you've received I am in full agreement.
I too hate getting these types of e-mails, and especially when the same people send them over and over again. Many have been told that 'most' of them are hoaxes, but that doesn't seem to stop them. I'd never send out anything like you've mentioned without first investigating it on Snopes.
Even more than the virus related ones, the ones that talk about missing and terminally ill children, and they turn out to be totally bogus disturb me most.
Hope all is well with you, and I'll see you at the 'other place.'
Take care.
Hugs
You'll likely be surprised to see me here, as I haven't been actively involved for around a year now. I still receive your discussions in my in box though, as well as a handful of other friends.
You've made a very good point here. Having read through the comments you've received I am in full agreement.
I too hate getting these types of e-mails, and especially when the same people send them over and over again. Many have been told that 'most' of them are hoaxes, but that doesn't seem to stop them. I'd never send out anything like you've mentioned without first investigating it on Snopes.
Even more than the virus related ones, the ones that talk about missing and terminally ill children, and they turn out to be totally bogus disturb me most.
Hope all is well with you, and I'll see you at the 'other place.'
Take care.
Hugs1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
10 Jan 10
i usually try to check them first.
i don't always take snopes as the be all end all either.
some even when fake do give food for thought,but in most cases i'd rather they not send them.i have one friend who sends me every chain and warning message you can imagine in one day,and actually has crashed my mailbox a couple of times now.
2 people like this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
10 Jan 10
oh yea.especially before morning coffee.
1 person likes this
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
10 Jan 10
One of my pet peeves!!! I am so tired of getting emails and seeing posts on Facebook. I used to go to Snopes to verify, 100% of the time I would find it wasn't true and I would notify the person who sent it to me. Well eventually people started getting a little snippy when told that their 5,000th mass email to everyone was a scam, so I stopped. Now I just delete it and I pay no attention to the posts on FB. I have to admit, there was a recent post on FB but the only reason I verified it as a scam and then let the poster know is because I didn't want any part of accusing innocent people of horrible things.
I really wish people would take the time to THINK and then VERIFY before blindly forwarding this stuff!
1 person likes this
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
10 Jan 10
I also get very tired of getting them...sometimes over and over again from the same people....I also get sick and tired of the same email over and over again...Yes you should be cautious but most people should be internet savy enough to see these are bogus!
2 people like this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
10 Jan 10
HA HA!! I just got an email warning about Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel because it supposedly causes one to not be able to smell or taste because it fries the persons Olfactory nerve and the results are most likely permanent. I went to snopes to check it out and right now it's undetermined so I don't know if it's true or not but at least I verified it.
I got another one that says instead of using pepper spray on a assailant but to use wasp spray can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. I haven't checked that one out yet but I will.
The point is, you can't take everything at face value. You have to verify verify and verify some more before destroying reputation of others or things.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
10 Jan 10
hi pyewacket oh yes I have learned to actually go to Snopes and find out for myself and yes, most of the emails I got telling me that this or that was a horrible virus and one even went so far as to say we should delete 
this one file on our computer before it destroyed our computer. okay at that time my son was here, and he took one look and laughed. mom if you deleted that yes you would destroy your computer as thats one of the main files we need to keep everything going. now just imagine how many people panicked and did just that, thus putting their computers in real jeopardy. not a virus but stupidity does a lot of people in.
this one file on our computer before it destroyed our computer. okay at that time my son was here, and he took one look and laughed. mom if you deleted that yes you would destroy your computer as thats one of the main files we need to keep everything going. now just imagine how many people panicked and did just that, thus putting their computers in real jeopardy. not a virus but stupidity does a lot of people in.1 person likes this
@nitu1952 (286)
• India
10 Jan 10
as various types of e-mails come from various sites. so one must consider evry mail seriously before applying it. . even some mails contain viruses. usually mails come in span contain viruses which relly harms the computer. so always accept the mails which is imporatnt to us.
@Eskimo (2315)
•
13 Jan 10
No I don't check with Snopes. In fact I have my Mailwasher delete any of these e-mails so I don't even look at them or open them. Chances are that they could have links to a nasty site anyway. Never quite sure if they are actually sent by friends or not.
Same goes with E-Cards, delete them as well, ever since I was sent one with a virus in it, luckily Mailwasher logged the virus so didn't open it.
If I think I've really got an E-Card then I go direct to the site and enter the code number showing in the e-mail, most times the E-Card is not legitimate.
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
17 Jan 10
Why does this post sound so familiar? ahhhhhhhh......ok, I remember now... I gave my answer over yonder already --------------
Anyways............DELETE!!! @blackbriar (9076)
• United States
17 Jan 10
OH hell no!!! I already responded to this one here as well. ROFL
@BarBaraPrz (45475)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
10 Jan 10
Yeah, I have one friend that constantly sends them to me... to see if they're true. He's sent me so many that I've told him weren't true that he doesn't dare forward anything without checking with me first. He even sends me stuff that he's sent before and doesn't remember sending. I tell him it wasn't true when he sent it the first time and it still isn't true. I always send him the pertinent Snopes link, but he just doesn't seem to get it that he can look it up himself. Just the other day he sent me the Walmart one, for the third time.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
12 Jan 10
I don't take people word for anything on those FWD's. I usually look them up before I send people on my contact list into hysteria over something that simply isn't true. Yes they do drive me nuts! I have a half sister who's tip toeing around 60 and has only gotten a computer in the last 2 yrs and is constantly sending me that stuff. I do my home work and send her the link that says it's bogus. I think these folks who haven't been online much are the ones suceptable to such e-mails and the "you've inherited $ from XYZ country, send us $$$$ to claim it" scams... **shaking head** perhaps thats why you see a few times a year someone getting scammed out of "claim" or "processing" money.
@PeacefulWmn9 (10420)
• United States
15 Jan 10
Hi Pyewacket
I think many new folk online do this...if it's there in an email, it must be true! I know I did, but then as we gain experience we learn about Snopes and Urban Legends, we check these things out. We know better with experience, and we teach others, too.
Karen