Email Security Tip - Forward Responsibly

Along with the junk mail that arrives in our inboxes, there may be quite a few gems that just beg to be forwarded. These may be jokes, funny photos or videos, useful information, interesting web links or just juicy bits of gossip. The "forward" function of our email program enables us to fire off these missives to one, a few, or all of the email addresses in our address book with just a few mouse clicks. As easy as pie!

In fact, email forwarding is almost too easy! While the ability to forward messages is a very valuable aid to effective email communication, the forward function should be used responsibly. Before you forward an email to multiple recipients, there are important factors that need to be considered:

Willingness to receive:
There is a fundamental question that is very frequently overlooked by the forwarding fraternity. The question is, "Does the recipient actually want to be sent all these forwarded emails?"

If you are on a slow dial-up Internet connection, it can be very irritating to continually receive large emails that take a considerable time to download. Furthermore, your recipient's opinions about what is funny, intriguing, or important might diverge rather sharply from your own.

More importantly, the recipient might be rightly concerned about the privacy and security risks inherent in multiple forwarded emails (see below).

In short, if you forward a lot of emails to a lot of people, it is simply good etiquette to give your recipients the chance to "opt out" of future mailings. In other words, take the time to ask the recipient if he or she wants to receive your forwarded emails. The truth is that some of your recipients may prefer that you did not forward emails to them, but are too polite to tell you.
Privacy and Security:
If you forward an email to multiple recipients in the normal way, recipients will be able to easily view each other's email addresses. The email is likely to be forwarded many more times and it will carry an expanding list of email addresses along with it, including those of your friends and family. Some of your recipients may not appreciate the fact that their private email address has been clearly revealed to dozens or hundreds of total strangers.

Ultimately, this list of email addresses may well find its way into the hands of spammers who will send you and other people on the list irritating and intrusive junk email.

I go to a lot of trouble to protect my private email address from spammers, so I do tend to get irritated when I am forwarded an email and realize that my email address has been blasted across cyberspace to dozens of strangers without my permission and its continued transmission is totally beyond my control.

Luckily, there are a couple of very easy steps you can take to protect the privacy of your recipients and help to reduce spam. Firstly, be sure to remove any previous email addresses displayed in a message before you forward it. Secondly, be sure to use the Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) function of your email program when forwarding a message to multiple recipients.
Protecting your own email address:
Even if you do remove previous email addresses and use BCC, you need to be aware that your private email address might well end up being sent onward and displayed in email inboxes across the planet. Once you click the "Send" button, you have very little control over where or to whom your email address is subsequently displayed. However, you can reduce the risk by asking your recipients to remove your email address before forwarding. You could also use a throwaway email account just for forwarding purposes.

Many users are simply not aware of the privacy and security issues connected to forwarding emails. You can take an active role in helping to protect user privacy and reducing spam by making others aware of these issues.

Write-up by Brett M.Christensen

Elf Bowling Virus Hoax

Summary:
Email claims that the Elf Bowling and Frogapult games contain a dangerous virus (Full commentary below.)

Status:
False

Examples:(Submitted, 2003)

TO ALL IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED ANY OF THESE GAMES = FROGAPULT.EXE ELFBOWL.EXE (FROG GAME) & (ELFBOWLING GAME) PLEASE CAN YOU DELETE THEM COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM AS THEY BOTH HAVE A DELAYED VIRUS ATTACHED TO THEM THAT WILL BE ACTIVATED ON CHRISTMAS DAY AND WILL WIPE OUT YOUR SYSTEM. LET EVERYONE KNOW OF THIS.

Bonsai Kittens Email Petition

Summary:
Email exhorts recipients to sign and forward a message protesting the practise of creating "bonsai kittens" by placing cats in class jars to restrict their growth (Full commentary below.)

Status:
Pointless! Nobody is making bonsai kittens.

Example:(Submitted, 2004)

FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES ANIMALS

There is a Japanese man living in New York that sells "BONSAI CATS".

The guy puts the kittens in glass bottle then puts a probe in their anus that gets out from a gap in the bottle to dispense their urine and faeces. For the kittens to take the bottle shape, they are fed with chemicals to melt the bones. Then he keeps the cats for as long as they can survive.

They can't move, walk or clean up.

He calls this "art".

This cruelty is the last fashion in NYC, China, Indonesia, New Zeland, because is a "decoration pet". If you want more information take a look in this site : http://www.shorty.com/bonsaikitten/bkmethod.html, and the babies into of a glass bottle in http://www.shorty.com/bonsaikitten/gray.html and http://www.shorty.com/bonsaikitten/bnw.html

We are making a list to sent to Animals Protection Association n USA and Mexico, and to TV news, to stop this.

We call out to anybody that loves cats or just has basic respect for LIFE - please put your name in the end of this list, then forward this e-mail to anyone you can think of.

If in the list you find more than 500 names, please send a copy to [ADDRESS REMOVED]

We are very thankfull to your help and we ask you to send this e-mail.

Fake News Story: Cambodian Midgets Fight Lion

Summary:
News story claims that 42 Cambodian Midgets were mutilated in a fight with an African lion while paying spectators looked on (Full commentary below.)

Status:
False

Example:

[Excerpt 1]

Headline:
Lion Mutilates 42 Midgets in Cambodian Ring-Fight

An African Lion much like this is responsible for the death of 28 Cambodian Midgets. Spectators cheered as entire Cambodian Midget Fighting League squared off against African Lion

[Excerpt 2]

The fight was called in only 12 minutes, after which 28 fighters were declared dead, while the other 14 suffered severe injuries including broken bones and lost limbs, rendering them unable to fight back.

Read the entire story

Friday 27 November 2009

Amy Bruce Charity Hoax

Summary:
Email claims that 7-year-old Amy Bruce is dying of lung cancer and a brain tumour and that the Make-A-Wish Foundation will donate money every time the email is forwarded (Full commentary below.).

Status:
False

Example:(Submitted, July 2007)

Subject: A 7 year old cancer patient

Pharming - Information about Pharming Scams

Hopefully, an increasing number of web users are now aware of how phishing scams work. A typical phishing scam operates as an evil duo comprising a fraudulent email closely coupled to an equally fraudulent website. The scam email, supposedly from a well-known company or financial institution, is intended to trick recipients into following a link to the fake website and providing sensitive personal information.

Phishing's more sophisticated first cousin is a technique known as "pharming". Like phishing, pharming coerces victims into visiting a fake website and supplying information. However, instead of tricking recipients into clicking on an email link, pharming can secretly redirect victims to a fraudulent website directly from their web browser. Pharming effectively eliminates the need for "bait" emails and is therefore potentially more dangerous than "normal" phishing scams and can cast a wider "net" in which to snare victims. Even phishing-savvy web users could fall victim to a pharming scam without realizing it.

In order to make pharming work, scammers may compromise a victim's system directly by secretly installing malicious software on his or her computer or modifying the browser's hosts file. Alternatively, the scammers may use "DNS cache poisoning" to effectively compromise the DNS server.

What this means in plain English is that, even if you manually enter the web-address of your bank or financial institution directly into your browser, or click on a saved bookmark, it is possible that a pharming attack could cause your browser to unobtrusively redirect to a fraud site. If the scam site is made to resemble the legitimate website of the targeted institution, a victim could enter account numbers, passwords and other sensitive information before he or she realized what was happening.

Currently, pharming does not appear to be as common as phishing. However, many computer security experts are predicting that pharming attacks will continue to increase as more criminals embrace these techniques. To help protect yourself from pharming, you should make sure that the secure website you are visiting has a valid certificate of authority from a trusted service such as VeriSign. Before entering sensitive personal data on the website, click the "lock" icon in the browser's status bar to view the certificate. Ensure that the name on the certificate corresponds to the site you are viewing. You should also run anti-virus and anti-spyware software, keep your operating system and browser updated with the latest security patches and use a reliable firewall. As with all aspects of Internet security, simple vigilance is a crucial defensive weapon. For example, if your Internet banking site suddenly seems subtly different in layout and styling and /or some of the links don't work as expected, it is possible that you have been secretly redirected to a scam site.

The technical aspects of pharming are quite complex and I have only touched the surface of the subject here. This article is intended to offer a brief overview of pharming. The list of resources included below should prove useful for those interested in finding out more about pharming.

Pharming Resource List:
Attorney General Foti Warns of New ID Theft Scam: "Pharming"
First Was Phishing, Next Is Pharming
Alarm over 'pharming' attacks
Phishing and pharming
Don't Get 'Pharmed'
Don't Let Your Users Buy the 'Pharm'

Phishing Scams - Anti-Phishing Information

Phishing is one of the most prevalent of all Internet scams. At any one time, a large number of major financial institutions and online entities around the world will be the target of phishing scammers. Some high profile institutions such as Citibank and PayPal are targeted almost continually. Phishing scams attempt to trick people into providing sensitive personal information such as credit card or banking details.

Phishing Scam Resources

Should Virus Warning Emails be Forwarded?

Whenever a significant new virus or other computer security threat emerges, it is not unusual for various warnings about the threat to begin circulating via email.

While the willingness to let others know about a potential computer security threat is commendable, forwarding a "virus warning" email may not be the best way to approach the issue. Like other email forwards, they tend to mutate as they travel from inbox to inbox. Even if the original message was accurate, ongoing modifications can mean that the information can quite quickly lose its relevance. The perceived danger can be significantly exaggerated and important details can become false or misleading. Also, such messages often continue to circulate for months or even years after the described threat has subsided.

For example, in mid 2005, a trojan was distributed via an email message that claimed Osama Bin Laden had been captured and hanged. Soon after, exaggerated and highly inaccurate warnings about the threat began circulating. Versions of this garbled "warning" message continue to circulate years later even though the "virus" described has long since ceased to be a significant danger. Another version combines the Bin Laden warning with an outright hoax about the non-existent "Olympic Torch" virus.

Even if a warning was originally valid, simply pointing friends to a write-up about the threat on a reputable anti-virus website is likely to be a better course of action than forwarding a full description via email. Unlike an email forward, an expert, web-based write-up will continue to contain accurate and up-to-date information about the security threat described. If you do feel that it is necessary to send or forward a virus warning via email, at least ensure that the information is clear, up-to-date, accurate and contains checkable references.

An outdated or inaccurate warning is unlikely to be very helpful and may even be counterproductive. In fact, misleading or outdated email virus warnings can develop some of the characteristics of the threats they claim to describe. Like email worms, such warnings can pointlessly consume bandwidth, add to inbox clutter and waste the time of both recipients and computer help and support staff obligated to deal with enquiries. Moreover, given the number of virus warning emails that are outright hoaxes, some hoax-weary recipients may dismiss even valid descriptions as bogus.

So think twice before you forward the next virus warning message that comes your way. Ultimately, taking the time to ensure that your friends have a good overall knowledge of computer security issues is likely to be a lot more productive than blindly forwarding virus warnings. For example, teaching a computer "newbie" friend how to install reliable anti-virus software, and keep it updated, is probably going to be a lot more helpful than firing off endless virus warning messages.

Sleeper Virus - Downadup or Conficker Worm Warnings

Messages circulating via email, blogs, and online communities are warning computer users about a "sleeper" virus dubbed the "downadup" or "conficker" worm. These warnings are true although some media reports about the potential consequences of a supposed April 1st 2009 launch of the sleeper virus tend to be exaggerated.

According to CNN and other news outlets, the worm exploits a bug in Microsoft Windows that allows it to infect computers linked via corporate networks. Once installed, the worm can potentially allow hackers to take control of the infected computers.

The worm has caused concern among computer security experts because it is so widespread with large infections detected in the US, Asia and Europe. So far, however, the worm is yet to cause any harm to the infected networks, hence its designation as a "sleeper". A January 16 2009 article on CNN notes:

It is the most serious large scale worm outbreak we have seen in recent years because of how widespread it is, but it is not very serious in terms of what it does. So far it doesn't try to steal personal information or credit card details.

An article published on CRN.com explains:

Like other malware, the worm known as Conficker or Downadup is a blended threat, relying upon a variety of attack vectors, which range from brute-force password guessing to hitching rides on USB sticks, in order to replicate and spread throughout a network. However, what experts say makes this worm unique is the rate of speed at which it replicates.

Although the potential threat is certainly real, computer security experts suggest that some media reports surrounding the supposed "launch" of the worm on April 1st 2009 tend to seriously exaggerate its potential consequences. Some of the more sensational reports claim that on April 1st hackers will be able to take control of millions of computers around the world with potentially devastating results. In spite of these reports, computer security experts are telling computer users there is no need for panic. An article by security expert Joe Stewart published on the SecureWorks research blog notes:

If you've been reading any news at all on the Internet in the past week, you've probably heard that Conficker Armageddon is approaching, and it's scheduled for April 1st, only a few days from now. The SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit has been receiving an increasing number of inquiries asking what one needs to do to prepare for the impending April 1st outbreak.

The truth is, there will be no April 1st outbreak, despite what some of the press stories have said so far. The only thing that will happen with Conficker on April 1st is that already-infected systems will begin to use a new algorithm to locate potential update servers. There, that's not so scary, is it?

Stewart's take on the issue is confirmed by other security experts:

Despite the hype surrounding the April 1 "launch" for the Conficker, or Downadup, worm, security experts from Symantec and McAfee say there's little to worry about. Although the authors of Conficker have consistently improved the worm, the media attention makes a criminal move on April 1 unlikely. Security best practices should protect most PCs. Despite security analysts insisting that April 1 is only a red herring, the Conficker malware hype keeps growing as April Fools' Day approaches. Indeed, the doom and gloom is persisting even as security researchers offer a voice of reason.

Users of Microsoft Windows should ensure that the latest Windows security updates are installed on their computers. A removal tool for the worm is available from the F-Secure website. Note that computers infected by Downadup are blocked from reaching f-secure.com websites. The F-Secure FTP server can also be reached from: ftp://ftp.antivirus.fi/anti-virus/tools/beta/ and ftp://193.110.109.53/anti-virus/tools/beta/.

References:
Downadup virus exposes millions of PCs to hijack
ISTP and F-Downadup Removal Tool
Conficker Worm Spreads Fast, Infects Millions
ISTP and F-Downadup Removal Tool

Starbucks Lack of Support For Iraq Troops Rumor

Summary:
Message claims that Starbucks refused to donate coffee to Marines stationed in Iraq because the company does not support the war (Full commentary below).

Status:
False

Example:(Submitted, January 2008)

Recently Marines in Iraq wrote to Starbucks because they wanted to let them know how much they liked their coffees and to request that they send some of it to the troops there. Starbucks replied, telling the Marines thank you for their support of their business, but that Starbucks does not support the war, nor anyone in it, and that they would not send the troops their brand of coffee.

So as not to offend Starbucks, maybe we should not support them by buying any of their products! I feel we should get this out in the open. I know this war might not be very popular with some folks, but that doesn't mean we don't support the boys on the ground fighting street -to-street and house-to-house.

If you feel the same as I do then pass this along, or you can discard it and no one will never know.

Thanks very much for your support. I know you'll all be there again when I deploy once more.

Semper Fidelis.
Sgt. Howard C. Wright
1st Force Recon Co
1st Plt PLT

PLEASE DON'T DELETE THIS . . ALLOW IT TO BE PASSED TO ALL IN MEMORY OF ALL THE TROOPS WHO HAVE DIED SO THAT WE MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE TO SUPPORT THEM OR NOT! ! !

Also, don't forget that when the Twin Trade Towers were hit the fire fighters and rescue workers went to Starbucks because it was close by for water for the survivors and workers and Starbucks charged them! ! !

JUST A NOTE TO THIS; STARBUCKS HAD STORES ON SEVERAL MILITARY BASES IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY ARE NOW BEING REMOVED BECAUSE OF THIS. GO GET 'EM AMERICA . STAND-UP FOR OURSELVES!

Online Quiz to Help Bihar Flood Victims

Summary:
Email claims that recipients can help victims of a devastating flood in Bihar India by participating in a short online quiz (Full commentary below).

Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, September 2008)

Subject: help Bihar Flood Victims......

Hi All,

Just came across a site to help Bihar Flood victims. Shows how one can contribute without actually spending anything or being physically present by spending 60 seconds of one's time. Just have to answer simple questions, and sponsors will pay to the NGO on your behalf. Kindly spread the word.

http://www.helpbihar.in

Please visit www.helpbihar.in and answer 4 simple questions. Correct answers are:

1. Patna
2. Kosi
3. 25 Lakh People
4. Drought

For each correct answer you give, Chevrolet will donate candles and biscuits and godrej will donate soaps.
Your 30 seconds may lighten-up someone's eyes. Please forward this to as many people you can.

Breast Cancer Site Email (Not a Hoax)

Summary:
Email claims that recipients can help to raise money towards free mammograms by visiting the Breast Cancer Site and clicking on a button (Full commentary below.)

Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, October 2004)

Subject: Breast Cancer Site

I know you are busy but....
A Favor to Ask
It only takes a minute....

Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman .

It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on "donating a mammogram" for free (pink window in the middle).

This doesn't cost you a thing.

Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

Reusing Plastic Bottles Causes Cancer Hoax

Summary:
Email claims that reusing plastic bottles can lead to the ingestion of cancer causing chemical agents (Full commentary below).

Status:
False

Example:(Submitted via email, August 2004)

Many are unaware of poisoning caused by re-using plastic bottles. Some of you may be in the habit of using and re-using your disposable mineral water bottles (eg. Evian, Aqua, Ice Mountain, Vita, etc), keeping them in your car or at work. Not a good idea. In a nutshell, the plastic (called polyethylene terephthalate or PET) used in these bottles contains a potentially carcinogenic element (something called diethylhydroxylamine or DEHA).

The bottles are safe for one-time use only; if you must keep them longer, it should be or no more than a few days, a week max, and keep them away from heat as well. Repeated washing and rinsing can cause the plastic to break down and the carcinogens (cancer- causing chemical agents)can leach into the water that YOU are drinking. Better to invest in water bottles that are really meant for multiple uses. This is not something we should be scrimping on. Those of you with family - please advise them, especially for their children's sake."

Plastics Cancer Link Email - Freezing Plastic Bottles - Plastics In the Microwave or Car

Summary:
Email claims that freezing water or microwaving food in plastic containers or plastic wrap can lead to the consumption of cancer causing chemicals (Full commentary below).

Status:
False

Update:
June 2007: A new variant of the hoax warning claims that drinking water from plastic water bottles that have been left in a car can cause breast cancer (details in commentary below).

Example:(Submitted, February 2005)

FW: Cancer News from John Hopkins

No plastics in micro

No water bottles in freezer.

No plastic wrap in micro

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in their newsletters worth noting... This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Dioxin Carcinogens cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Don't freeze your plastic water bottles with water as this also releases dioxins in the plastic.

Dr. Edward Fujimoto from Castle hospital was on a TV program explaining this health hazard. (He is the manager of the Wellness Program at the hospital.)

He was talking about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers.

This applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination fat, high heat and plastics releases dioxins into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Dioxins are carcinogens and highly toxic to the cells of our bodies. Instead, he recommends using glass, Corning Ware, or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, without the dioxins.

So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He said we might remember when some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

To add to this, Saran wrap placed over foods as they are nuked, with the high heat, actually drips poisonous toxins into the food, use paper towels.

Pass this on to your family & friends & those that are important in your life!

Painted Bathroom Floor Photograph

Summary:
Email claims an attached photograph shows a bathroom with the floor painted so that it appears to be open to the sky (Full commentary below).

Status:
False

Example:(Submitted, May 2007)

Subject: WOW

BATHROOM PAINTED FLOOR

IMAGINE YOU ARE AT A PARTY on the tenth floor....

YOU'VE BEEN DRINKING......(not that you would...)

AND THEN YOU HAVE TO VISIT THE BATHROOM....

You open the door....

NOW, REMEMBER,THE FLOOR IS JUST! A PAINTED FLOOR!

KINDA TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY.....DOESN'T IT?

Scroll sloooooooowly.....

Oscar Mayer Does Not Support The War Hoax

Summary:
Email claims that Oscar Mayer refused to donate hotdogs to US Marines stationed in Iraq because the company does not support the war (Full commentary below).

Status:
False

Example:(Submitted, January 2008)

Subject: OSCAR MEYER

Guess I will not be eating Oscar Meyer hot dogs any more!

Recently Marines in Iraq wrote to Oscar Meyer because they wanted to let them know how much they liked their hot dogs and to request that they send some of it to the troops there.

Oscar Meyer replied , telling the Marines thank you for their support of their business, but that Oscar Meyer does not support the war, nor anyone in it, and that they would not send the troops their brand of hot

dogs. So as not to offend Oscar Meyer, maybe we should not support them by buying any of their products! As a war vet writing to fellow patriots, I feel we should get this out in the open. I know this war might not be very popular with some folks, but that doesn't mean we don't support the boys on the ground fighting street-to-street and house-to-house for what they and I believe is right.

If you feel the same as I do then pass this along, or you can discard it and no one will never know.

Thanks very much for your support. I know you'll all be there again when I deploy once more.

"Semper Fidelis."
Sgt Howard C. Wright
1st Force Recon Co
1st Plt PLT

PLEASE DON'T DELETE THIS ... ALLOW IT TO BE PASSED TO ALL IN MEMORY OF ALL THE TROOPS WHO HAVE DIED SO THAT WE MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE TO SUPPORT THEM OR NOT!!!

Mat Company's Rude Response to US Soldier in Iraq

Summary:
Email forward claims that a discount mat company responded to a soldier's email about its products by rudely suggesting that the soldier and his troops should pull out of Iraq (Full commentary below).

Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, January 2007)

A soldier based in Iraq got this response when inquiring as to whether or not the company ships overseas. He wanted to get the troops better gear to sleep on.

To Whom it may concern:

Do you ship to APO addresses?

I'm in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed in Iraq and we are trying to order some mats but we are looking for who ships to APO first.

SGT Hess

************************************

From: contact@discount-mats.com

Subject: Re: Feedback: from discount-mats.com

SGT Hess,

We do not ship to APO addresses, and even if we did, we would NEVER ship to Iraq.

If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq.

Bargain Suppliers

Discount-Mats.com

Photos of Houses in Weird Places

Summary:
Series of circulating images supposedly show houses built in strange locations (Full commentary below).

Status:
Some images are manipulated - others are genuine

Example:(Submitted, April 2007)

Subject: Houses in weird places

Could you go to sleep at night and not wonder if these houses would be there the next morning?

How would you like to spend your nights in # 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Home in A Garbage Truck

Summary:
Email forward claims that attached photographs depict a garbage truck converted into a mobile home (Full commentary below).

Status:
Photographs are genuine but vehicle is not actually a converted garbage truck

Example:(Submitted, October 2008)

Subject: This guy lives in a garbage truck!

Not sure if I have sent this one on would'nt mind living in one myself.

This guy lives in a garbage truck....you have to see it!

This is wild!!!!!

He lives in a garbage truck! You have to look at this house!

Thursday 26 November 2009

Email Request to Adopt Free Black Lab Puppies

Summary:
Message claims that 6 black lab puppies rescued from a roadway are in desperate need of new homes (Full commentary below).

Status:
May have been true, but the message is now outdated and pointless

Example:(Submitted, October 2007)

Subject: FW: Free black labs...Know anybody looking?

these guys are sure tempting!! this email came from my sister via

work ... Please let me know if you know of anyone who might be interested.

Scott rescued 6 black lab (mix) puppies out of the middle of the road on Saturday. PLEASE help me find them homes - otherwise, it's Animal Control - which means they only have 5 days. We've bathed them, sprayed them for fleas and wormed them....but we can't keep them. They are currently in a kennel in my basement since I don't have a fence. I've lost count of the number of rescue groups that I've contacted, only to be turned down due to no room. Please check with every dog person you know to see if they need a puppy.

Free black lab puppies

Culvert Car Flip - Miraculous Escape Photos

Summary:
Photos depict a vehicle that has apparently hit a bridge guardrail and then flipped completely over a very deep culvert to land in relative safety on the other side (Full commentary below).

Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, January 2007)

Man hits guard rail and flips end over end over that culvert. Do you think he had an angel on his shoulder? Check out the third picture!!

Click images for larger view

House Removal Bridge Accident Photographs

Summary:
Photographs show an accident in which a house, along with the large truck carrying it, became stuck across a river after a bridge collapsed, presumably due to the excess weight of the vehicle's load (Full commentary below).

Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, November 2008)

Subject: Engineering Question

Engineering Questions of the Day

Q.) How much does a house weigh and

How much can a rural two-lane bridge Hold???

SO! WOULD THIS BE COVERED BY HOUSE INSURANCE, CAR INSURANCE, OR, DOES IT COME UNDER ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ???

God Spilled the Paint Photograph

Summary:
A beautiful photograph of desert wildflowers is circulating via email and online.(Full commentary below).

Status:
Photograph is genuine

Example:(Submitted, November 2006)

God's Paint Spill, breathtaking

This is breathtaking!!!

Desert Flowers on the east side of the Carrizo plain, in the Temblor Range (about 50 miles due west of Bakersfield).
(Author and Photographer unknown)

Image © Frankie Kee

Parrot Flower Photographs

Summary:
Email claims that attached photographs show a very rare plant with parrot shaped flowers that grows in Thailand (Full commentary below).

Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, May 2008)

Subject: The Parrot Flower

THE PARROT FLOWER

Armless Girl Jessica Cox Gains Pilot's License

Summary:
Email forward tells the inspirational story of Jessica Cox, a girl who was able to gain her pilot's licence, among other remarkable achievements, in spite of being born without arms (Full commentary below).

Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, January 2008)

Subject: FW: Armless Girl Gets A Pilot License

Jessica Cox 1

Jessica Cox, 25, a girl born without arms, stands inside an aircraft. The girl from Tucson, Arizona got the Sport Pilot certificate lately and became the first pilot licensed to fly using only her feet.

Jessica Cox 2

Jessica Cox of Tucson was born without arms, but that has only stopped her from doing one thing: using the word "can't."

Jessica Cox 4

Her latest flight into the seemingly impossible is becoming the first pilot licensed to fly using only her feet.

Jessica Cox 6

With one foot manning the controls and the other delicately guiding the steering column, Cox, 25, soared to achieve a Sport Pilot certificate. Her certificate qualifies her to fly a light-sport aircraft to altitudes of 10,000 feet.

Jessica Cox 7

"She's a good pilot. She's rock solid," said Parrish Traweek, 42, the flying instructor at San Manuel's Ray Blair Airport.

Jessica Cox 8

Parrish Traweek runs PC Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Services and has trained many pilots, some of whom didn't come close to Cox's abilities.

Jessica Cox 9

"When she came up here driving a car," Traweek recalled, "I knew she'd have no problem flying a plane."

Jessica Cox 10

Doctors never learned why she was born without arms, but she figured out early on that she didn't want to use prosthetic devices.

Difference Between http & https

Summary:
Circulating email advises web users to take note of the differences between "http" and "https" in web addresses to ensure that they only provide sensitive personal and financial information on secure websites (Full commentary below).

Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, January 2009)

Subject: FW: Difference between http & https (no joke)

Don't know how many are aware of this difference, but worth sending to any that do not...... What is the difference between http and https

FIRST, MANY PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE OF
**The main difference between http:// and https:// is It's all about keeping you secure** HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transport Protocol,

Which is just a fancy way of saying it's a protocol (a language, in a manner of speaking) For information to be passed back and forth between web servers and clients. The important thing is the letter S which makes the difference between HTTP and HTTPS.

The S (big surprise) stands for "Secure". If you visit a website or webpage, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http://.

This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular 'unsecure' language. In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send to that site.

This is why you never ever enter your credit card number in an http website! But if the web address begins with https://, that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on.

You understand why this is so important, right?

If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should automatically look to see if the web address begins with https://.

If it doesn't, there's no way you're going to enter sensitive information like a credit card number.

PASS IT ON (You may save someone a lot of grief).

Obama Acceptance Speech Trojan Horse Warning

Summary:
Message warns recipients not to open an email with the subject "Obama Acceptance Speech" because it carries a password stealing Trojan horse (Full commentary below).

Status:
Real Trojan horse, but warning is exaggerated, misleading and outdated

Example:(Submitted, January 2009)

Subject: FW: Very, Very, Urgent, please read and pass on

Confirmed with Symantec

THERE IS AN EMAIL WITH SUBJECT LINE OBAMA ACCEPTANCE SPEECH FLOATING AROUND WITH A Trojan HORSE ATTACHMENT.

DO NOT OPEN FOR ANY REASON!!! DELETE IMMEDIATELY. THE Trojan STEALS ALL PASSWORDS AND USER IDS!!!

SPREAD THE WORD TO EVERYONE ON YOUR EMAIL LIST.

THANKS.

Animal Rescue Site Email Forward

Summary:
Email forward claims that you can help provide food for abused and neglected animals simply by clicking a button on the Animal Rescue Site (Full commentary below).

Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, December 2008)

Subject: FW: help homeless animals for free

PLEASE DO THIS 'FREE' GOOD DEED - Animal Rescue:

Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple... Please tell ten friends to tell ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.

It takes less than a minute (How about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box that says "Click here to Give - It's Free!" You don't have to fill anything out, and it's just counting clicks.

This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising. Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/

PLEASE TELL 10 FRIENDS !!!

Plastic Containers - Chasing Arrows Symbol Reveals Plastic's Chemical Makeup

Summary:
Email forward explains how to decode the triangular "chasing arrows" symbol on plastic containers (Full commentary below).

Status:
Coding information is factual - Health warnings are debatable

Example:(Submitted, February 2009)

Subject: FW: Health knowledges-Recycle Plastic bottle Grade

Did you ever drink from a plastic bottle and see a triangle symbol on the bottom with a number inside?

Plastic Code 1 and 2

Do you know what the number stands for?
Did you guess that it's just for recycling?
Then you are WRONG!!!!!!
THE NUMBER TELLS YOU THE CHEMICAL MAKE UP OF THE PLASTIC.....
1) Polyethylene terephalate (PET)
2) High density polyethylene (HDPE)
3) Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (UPVC) or Plasticised polyvinyl chloride (PPVC)
4) Low density polyethylene LDPE
5) Polypropylene (PP)
6) Polystyrene (PS) or Expandable polystyrene (EPS)
7) Other, including nylon and acrylic

What you aren't told is that many of the plastics used are toxic and the chemicals used to create a plastic can leach out of the plastic and into the food / drink.

Think about it, how many times have you or a friend said "I don't like this, it taste like the plastic bottle ..... "
THAT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE TASTING THE PLASTIC

The WORST ONES are Nos: 3, 6, and 7 !!!
DO NOT USE THESE NUMBERS if stated at the bottom of the bottle) !!!

Check out this chart that breaks down the plastic, its uses and chemical makeup (I find #7 a little scary)
http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/guide_ref/guide_plascod3.html

Plastic Code Chart

Photos of Koala Escaping Heatwave

Summary:
Email claims that attached photographs show a wild koala that came inside a back porch to seek relief from a heatwave that struck southern Australia in early 2009 (Full commentary below).

Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, February 2009)

Version One:

Subject: FW: Heatwave

In Victoria the temperature has been above 44 degrees all week and they are forecasting another week of 40+ temperatures. Power is failing, trains have stopped running because tracks are buckling under the heat . It's just scorching and it seems that the people are not the only ones suffering.

Check out these photos of a little Koala which just walked onto a back porch looking for a bit of heat relief. The woman filled up a bucket for it and this is what happened!

Version Two:

Subject: FW: Heat

A guy at work lives at Maude. His wife sent him these photos of a little Koala which just walked into the back porch looking for a bit of heat relief. She filled up a bucket and this is what happened!

Coconut Crab Photographs

Summary:
Email claims that attached photographs depict a very large type of crab called the Coconut Crab because of its ability to crack coconuts with its strong claws (Full commentary below).

Status:
True

Example:(Submitted, February 2009)

Subject: LIKE COCONUTS?

Our friends in Australia sent us a picture of a Coconut Crab. This is pretty interesting.... Coconut Crab (Birgus latro) is the largest terrestrial arthropod in the world. It is known for its ability to crack coconuts with its strong pincers in order to eat the contents.

It is sometimes called the robber crab because some coconut crabs are rumored to steal shiny items such as pots and silverware from houses and tents.

The second photo gives you a good idea of how large these crabs are - a coconut crab is seeking food from a black trashcan.

Archive

Article About

Other Archives

Sponsored By

TrueOrFiction Community

Site Rank By

Blog Lain-ku

Product

Subscribe

Powered By

Article About It !!!

Saturday 28 November 2009

How to Remove Previous Email Addresses in Email Forwards

Jamie Bulger Email Petition