Devious Internet Hoaxes

5. Deadly Perfume

Falling into the category of "scarelore" intended to cause hysteria and paranoia, one e-mail plays into Americans' fear of receiving contaminated letters or packages in the mail, following the September 11th attacks. The e-mail warns readers that seven women died after smelling a free perfume sample that was mailed to them. The e-mail also reports that the government is afraid this might be another terrorist act. Workers at the Johns Hopkins University and the Harris County (Texas) Attorney's office forwarded the e-mail without considering the misleading scent of authenticity that their signature blocks might add.

Believe me, if such a threat had been confirmed, you can be sure that the news media--and the FBI--would be alerting the public to this new scare from coast to coast. To read more about the hoax, go to About's Urban Legends. For more on scarelore in general, go to HoaxBusters.

4. Monkey Business in Afghanistan

Watch out for an e-mail coming from a character called Bradon Curtis--a "US Special Forces Commando" no less. Apparently, Bradon Curtis has found a stash of money in Afghanistan and needs help transferring it out of the country. Naturally, Curtis offers to reward anybody who will help him get the money out of there.

Don't be tempted by this new wrinkle on an old con--known as the Nigerian Scam or the 419 Fraud (named after the criminal code in Nigeria). The scam? A potential victim gets an unsolicited e-mail, letter, or fax concerning Nigeria. At a certain point in the text, you are asked to pay an advance fee or a transfer tax of some kind. Sounds pretty obvious, but bear in mind that people have reported being victimized by this type of fraud. If you get any e-mails, faxes, or letters enlisting your aid in rescuing funds from a foreign country, don't take the bait. Read more about the scam at the 419 Coalition Web Site.

3. Victim of 9/11 Tragedy

Some folks out there couldn't help but mark the recent anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy with a new e-mail chain-letter hoax. This e-mail, ostensibly sent by a little girl named Jasmine, claims that the Red Cross will help pay for an operation that her mother needs after surviving the terrorist attack one year ago. All you need to do is forward her message to every e-mail address you have. Somehow, the Red Cross will hand over 10 cents every time the message gets forwarded.

I ask you: Who would make an 11-year-old solicit forwarded e-mails to save her mom? Note that the e-mail address given in the letter is no longer valid. Read Jasmine's plea at Snopes.com. For a list of other Internet hoaxes, e-mail rumors, and urban legends related to the events of September 11, 2001, go to About's Urban Legends.

2. Tainted Coke

If you are a Coca-Cola fan, you'll want to ignore the latest wave of Coke-related e-mail warnings. According to the e-mail, people are advised not to drink Coke after a certain date. Many versions of the tainted-Coke hoax are circulating--and the date varies from e-mail to e-mail. One e-mail, for instance, mentions that a Middle Eastern person warned another person who had been helpful in the past. Waiters employed at Red Lobster and other restaurants, along with workers or helpful customers at grocery stores, also get credit for warning people. The message implies that the product has been tampered with.

Of course, there have been no mysterious illnesses or deaths associated with drinking Coke recently. You can read Coca-Cola's response to this rumor.

1. Jaws II?

Seeing is believing, or so they say. And many of us have been duped by the recent photo that shows a shark jumping out of the water to attack a diver dangling from a helicopter. The caption on the photo reads "And you think you're having a bad day at work!!"

According to National Geographic News, the photo is a fake. The composite image, which claims to be National Geographic's Photo of the Year, was spliced together from a U.S. Air Force photo taken near San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge and a photo of a shark from South Africa. But even though it is a fake, it does make you feel better about your day job!

Check out the two original photographs farther down on the same Web page or visit National Geographic News.