Problems with Chain Letters

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There are times that you are annoyed by chain letters sent in your email. That is understandable considering that you did not ask for it and it can possibly contain viruses and other malicious activities. You should be careful when you are dealing with chain letters because even those that look harmless and respectable contain viruses. If they do not contain such, chain letters can still consume a space in your inbox.

You should know that there are two types of chain letters – hoaxes and urban legends. The goal of hoaxes is to defraud or trick other users. Urban legends on the other hand are intended to notify users of a threat or claim to be informing them of urgent information.

So, how can you know if you are dealing with a hoax or urban legend? Here are some guidelines:

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  • Suggests catastrophic consequences. If you received an email that suggests catastrophic consequences when you do not send it, it may be hoax or an urban legend. Do not be scared of that.
  • Promises money. If you received an email that offers or promises money, it may be hoax or an urban legend. There are cases that they will offer GCs (Gift Certificates).
  • Spelling or grammatical errors. Legitimate emails have perfect spelling. Apart from that, they do not have grammatical errors. If you come across a message with spelling or grammatical errors, it may be a hoax or urban legend.
  • Urging you to spread the message. If you received emails urging you to spread it, it speaks of hoax or urban legend. You do not need to forward something if it is important.
  • Forwarded a thousand times. If you received emails urging you to spread it, you have to check if it has been forwarded a thousand times. If it has been forwarded many times, it may be a hoax or urban legend.