Information on hoax virus emails, email petitions, and email chain letter propagation
This post is from an article I wrote way back in the mid-1990s while working for Symantec.
Stop! Think Before You Forward.
We’ve all seen them: frantic warnings about hidden needles in gas station pumps, “imminent” fees for social media, or heartbreaking stories of missing children who were actually found years ago.
Most people who forward these have good intentions; they want to protect their friends and family. However, spreading bad information doesn’t help—it just creates noise and unnecessary fear.
The “Exponential” Problem
If one person sends a hoax to just 10 friends, and those friends do the same, look how quickly the internet becomes a “stringy mess” of bad data:
[Image of exponential growth graph]
| Forwarding Round | Total Recipients |
|---|---|
| Initial Sender | 1 |
| Round 1 (Sent to 10 friends) | 10 |
| Round 2 | 100 |
| Round 3 | 1,000 |
| Round 4 | 10,000 |
| Round 6 | 1,000,000 |
By Round 9, you have theoretically reached 1 Billion people—more than the population of the Western world.
Chef Juke’s Golden Rule:
“If an email or post asks you to ‘FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW,’ it is almost certainly a hoax. Legitimate warnings from the CDC, FBI, or local police do not rely on chain letters.”
The Debunking Toolbox
Before you hit “Send,” check one of these reputable debunking sites:
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Snopes (Urban Legends Reference Pages): The gold standard for debunking everything from political myths to “killer” spiders. -
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Hoax-Slayer: Excellent for social media scams and “free giveaway” hoaxes. -
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TruthOrFiction.com: Great for verifying inspirational stories or “warnings” about new laws.
Why Do Hoaxes Work?
Hoaxes trigger a strong emotional response—usually fear, anger, or deep sympathy. This bypasses our critical thinking and makes us act immediately.
The next time you see a “Warning”:
- Look for a date. Most hoaxes are undated so they can circulate for years.
- Look for a specific location. “The hospital in the next town” is a classic vague marker.
- Search the text. Copy a sentence and paste it into Google followed by the word “hoax”.
Help keep the internet clean. If you receive a hoax, politely send your friend a link to a debunking site.