Hoaxes

A hoax is misinformation that is spread across the internet. Hoaxes are usually sent via email or communication tools like ICQ and Skype. The message itself is often a joke or an Urban Legend.

Computer Virus hoaxes try to generate fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) in the recipients, making them believe that there is an “undetectable virus“ deleting files and retrieving passwords, or performing other harmful activity on their system.

Some hoaxes work by asking recipients to forward messages to their contacts, perpetuating the hoax. There are mobile phone hoaxes, pleas for help, people offering to send you money from abroad, etc. It is often impossible to determine the the creator's intent.

It may be a hoax if you see a message prompting you to forward it to everyone you know. Many websites on the internet can verify if an email is legitimate. Before forwarding, perform an internet search on any message you suspect is a hoax.