Facebook TimeLine Hoax - Forwarded again

The message comes like this (depends on the twists and turns):

With the new 'FB timeline' on its way this week for EVERYONE...please do both of us a solid: Hover over my name above. In a few seconds you'll see a box that says "Subscribed." Hover over that, then go to "Comments and Likes" and unclick it. That will stop my posts and yours to me from showing up on the side bar for everyone to see, but MOST IMPORTANTLY it LIMITS HACKERS from invading our profiles. If you re-post this I will do the same for you.

What others are doing to tell you the otherwise? Read the following:

A Hoax-Slayer Nutshell: Protest Message Rails Against New Facebook Timeline

Harry Waldron - Computer Security News

Snoops link verifing that it a hoax

Scams target anti-Timeline Facebook users, USA TODAY

Extract: As a company, Facebook has tried to educate its millions of users, pointing out options, updating security information, and answering privacy concerns. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that's been enough, with more than 70,000 people joining anti-Timeline pages across the board.

Protect Your Facebook Account from the Latest Hack
‎

Boycott Gasoline: not buying gas on March 14, a chain letter circulating since 1999

Boycott Gasoline? Why Gas Urban Legends Won't Affect Prices, Aaron Crowe, http://www.walletpop.com
The email chain letter or Facebook invitations wading their way through the Internet this week are enticing to anyone who has had to fill up their car with gas lately: "Join a national protest by not buying gas on March 14!" Or, "Send a message to Big Oil by boycotting gasoline for a day."

But like every urban legend, it sounds good until you look at the details and realize it's the same misinformation that has been passed around for years. There are plenty of legitimate ways to save on gas, but these myths won't do it.

The gas boycott that has been called for in some form of a chain letter since 1999 is based on a flawed premise. The "gas out" doesn't ask people to use less gas, only to change their date of purchase and buy it a day earlier or later than they normally would, according to a Snopes.com analysis of the rumor. continue reading: http://www.walletpop.com

On the Same Shelf:

FBI Warns of Three Online Scams: Sex, Taxes and a Desktop Hijack [source]

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins: Another wishful forwarded fiction

The text of the forwarded email states:
"AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY ('TRY', BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY" (aka, Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins):

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed...
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. continued....

Research says this is a FALSE:

• hoax-slayer.com : Cancer Info From Johns Hopkins Hoax Email -- Status: False
[Punchline: In fact, any health-related advice or warnings that circulate via email, blogs and forums should be checked for accuracy before being passed on to others].
• snopes.com: Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins Hospital -- Claim: False
[Note:... The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center has published a detailed rebuttal of the "Cancer Update" e-mail]

Bottomline: What does the Johns Hopkins say about this Cancer Update? The answer is here:

This e-mail is NOT from Johns Hopkins [NEWS] August 11, 2008

Email Hoax: "Cancer Update From John Hopkins" Updated April 2009
A hoax e-mail on cancer has been circulating on the internet. Because this e-mail uses the Johns Hopkins name, we thought we would post a What's New to inform the users of our web page. The e-mail in question is pasted at the end of this Whats New. To learn more visit: www.jhsph.edu/dioxins and The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center News.

•  Federal Trade Commission says: Cure-ious? Ask. See also: Signs of a scam

Think Before You Click: You have received A Card from a Family Member

There is a long list of emails that come to you and sound genuine, but most of the time are spam, malware, virus, etc., sent to you by robots...

To save us from the above, there are alerts, including:

'You have received A Hallmark E-Card' Urban Legends' say: 'You've Received a Postcard' Virus
See More About:

computer virus warnings

e-cards

trojan warnings

E-Card Fraud Alert, says: Hallmark Site

snopes.com: 'Hallmark Postcard from a Family Member' virus -- MIXTURE OF REAL VIRUS WARNING AND HOAX

Solutions / Discussions:

Greetings! Someone Has Sent You an E-Card Virus, Todd R. Weiss, Computerworld pcworld.com

ECard Virus Removal, By Colin Richards @ ezinearticles.com

Security Alert: Virus Emails - You've received A Hallmark E-Card ... @ Carnegie Mellon University

Galewher.com Facebook, Twitter Virus: Koobface Strikes Again

Received an invite to make quick bucks @ Facebook. Facebook security offers help. click here and here Facebook Blog: New Tools to Secure a Compromised Account.

Here is the news: Galewher.com Facebook, Twitter Virus: Koobface Strikes Again

"Apparently, Galewher.com is an extension of the Koobface worm, which has been running amuck for some time now."

More news here: GALEWHER.C0M (GaleWher.com) Facebook Virus

A Pathfinder To Detect Spam and Forwarded Email Scams

I have compiled a list of sites that help in detecting spam, scam, fake and fraud sites. Are there any more, or I am missing any important one, here:

• 419 BAITER
• Better Business Bureaus in Canada
• Blog of Scams
• Federal Trade Commission's website on spam email
• Forward scam emails to
• Fraud Aid
• Fraud Email Collection
• Fraud Email Gallery
• http://www.snopes.com/
• Indian Consumer Complaints Forum
• Legit or Scam?
• Museum of hoaxes
• Paypal Fake Emails
• PCQandA.com
• Rumor Detectives
• Scam Types dot Com
• Spam Laws
• Spam Scammers
• Stop Spam Email
• Thats Nonsense
• The Universal Seduction
• Tips To Detect Scam Websites
• Truth or Fiction
• Urban Legends

Has any one evaluated these sites?

Golden rule in forwarding Forwarded e-mail or Chain e-mails

Follow the Golden Rule!! Treat others as you would like to be treated - with respect! ... Think it over before forwarding Forwarded e-mail or Chain e-mails.
More here: "Nightscribe's Advice on forwarding e-mail is condensed to a few simple rules" @ Electronic Chain Letters and Mindless Forwards are SPAM!!

In an article, "5 Rules for Forwarding Email" by Judith posted @, E-mail Etiquette Articles and How Tos, you will find the following five rules. Read these also as Golden Rules when you forward emails:

1. Don’t forward anything without editing out all the forwarding >>>> , other email addresses, headers and commentary from all the other forwarders.
2. If you cannot take the time to write a personal comment at the top of your forwarded email to the person you are sending to – then you shouldn’t forward it at all
3. Think carefully about if what you are forwarding will be of value (accurate information — check for hoaxes @ Snopes.com), appreciated (something the recipient needs) or humorous (do they have the same sense of humor as you do) to the person on the other side.
4. It should go without saying (But I have to say it because folks do so anyway.) that forwarding of chain letter; regardless how noble the topic may seem, virus warnings or anything that says “forward to everyone you know” simply shouldn’t be forwarded because in most cases it is plain old B.S. (again check before forwarding @ Snopes.com).
5. If you must forward to more than one person, put your email address in the TO: field and all the others you are sending to in the field to protect their email address from being published to those they do not know.

Victim sends a forward - Posted By MEAW

Note: This is a funny collection, author: unknown (anonymous)

Forwarded Emails – Victim sends a forward, by meaw

A Hilarious Mail from a frustrated victim of chain mails

I wanted to thank all my friends and family who have forwarded chain letters to me in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and continuing it in 2009 also…….

Because of your kindness:

* I stopped drinking Coca Cola after I found out that it’s good for removing toilet stains.

* I stopped going to the movies for fear of sitting on a needle infected with AIDS.

* Forwarded hundreds of mails but still waiting for FREE DESKTOP, LAPTOP, CAMERA, CELLPHONE etc….

* I smell like a wet dog since I stopped using deodorants because they cause cancer…

* I don’t leave my car in the parking lot or any other place and sometimes I even have to walk about 7 blocks for fear that someone will drug me with a perfume sample and try to rob me.

* I also stopped answering the phone for fear that they may ask me to dial a stupid number and then I get a phone bill with calls to Uganda, Pakistan, Singapore and Tokyo.

* I also stopped drinking anything out of a Can for fear that I will get sick from the rat faeces and urine.

* When I go to parties, I don’t look at any girl, no matter how hot she is, for fear that she will take me to a hotel, drug me, then take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.

* I also donated all my savings to the Amy Bruce account. A sick girl that was about to die in the hospital about 7,000 times… (Poor girl! she’s been 7 since 1993…)

* Still open to help somebody from Nigeria who wants to use my account to transfer his uncle’s property of $ 100 million. So much trustworthy.
* I have forwarded 35 emails to 400 people hoping that Ericsson or Nokia will send me latest mobile phones but those models are also obsolete now.
* Made some Hundred wishes before forwarding those Ganesh , Tirupathi Balaji pics etc… Now most of those ‘Wishes’ are already married (to someone else)

NOW IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you do not send this e-mail to at least 11,246 people in the next 10 seconds, a bird will Pee on your head tomorrow by 12:30 PM.

Nothing has happened till now…………………. but who knows. So please forward.

Forwarded, But no Luck: It's your Karma--they say in the spiritual lingo!!!

Here is Wisdom of the Wise.
The following information posted by Linn Barringer @ PLEASE don't forward hoax virus warnings:

"And if you expected that "some good luck will befall you if you pass it it on..." think on...

I did what you told me...
I sent the email to 10 people, like you said.
I'm still waiting for that miracle to happen..."

Continue reading

Forwarded e-mails by category - Way to Organize Email Overload

Believe it or not forwarded emails (by friends, etc., and by robots) are not just random, they can most probably fall into some categories (and you can make your own, as well), for example:
>>Friendly fires:

Jokes -- cheap, tragic, comic, satire, sensitive, racial, humorous, etc.

Funny thoughts -- kiddish, adult, immature, political, etc.

Educational / informative -- work related, stress related, occupational, etc

Spiritual / Religious -- evangelical, inspirational, motivational, emotional, etc.

Pics / Comics / Cartoons

News - local, regional, global, historic

Audio / Videos / Multimedia

Much more

>>E-mails forwarded by robots (auto mailers or machines), reach your in-box--like it or not, want it or not, even if you block them they manage their route:

Scam emails

spam e-mails trying to sell you the usual crap like fake Viagra, Cialis, pecker enlargement pills, etc.
&nbps;&nbps;&nbps;

phishing e-mails (which are also scams that you don't want), and in rare cases, an attachment containing a virus or a trojan horse. Don't click on any links or open any attachments in any of the e-mails you receive in your catcher account.
&nbps;&nbps;&nbps;

more spam / scam / chain emails, bulk email, here: http://www.419baiter.com

>>Chain E-Mails and Unnecessary Bulk Mail: Stop the Insanity

>>Note: Bottomline, you still have the options: Delete / mark the sender as spam / forward at ease

Chain emails - send it now to every one you love....

Some standard statements:

If you need God to open some doors for you...send this on.

This is without a doubt one of the nicest good luck forwards I have received. Hope it works for you - - and me!

Do not keep this message.

"Chain e-mails are those that, in the body or subject of the message, asks the recipient to forward the e-mail on to multiple people. Many chain letter e-mails are hoaxes and are often considered to be a security and privacy risk. If the message is forwarded on by a person, it will usually show the names and e-mail addresses of everyone you have sent it to, and possibly the addresses of everyone the last person (from which you received it) also sent it to. The risk is that you do not know if an unscrupulous or malicious person will receive the e-mail with all the e-mail addresses, and what they might choose to do with that list. Many consider chain e-mail to be a type of spam."  source: webopedia.com

• Chain Letter Examples of Email Spam
  
• Perfect Example of a Chain-Email « Simon & Schuster Forums
  

Really: "Google Home Income that saved his life?" - - Push-Pull Marketing

Note: My google chat messenger today popped up (as if sent by a buddy--and not by a stranger; not even an anonymous chatter) with a link to the following article:

Millions of people without jobs, but no worries, working at home is the way to go.
"In a short time Scott Richardson was able to make it with a system called "Google Home Income" that saved his life...."

And, I googled to see what is all this about. I found the following:

Google Home Income Scam Hoax Sites Designed to Steal Money From People Wanting to Make Money Online...

Bottomline: snopes.com: Google 'Work from Home' Scam