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The Web in Focus Still More Internet Hoaxes Another variety of Internet hoaxes continues the tradition of the urban legend and brings it online. One email making the rounds claims that blue envelopes are being sent to people with a sponge inside that is infected with something called the Klingerman virus. The email claims that the CDC is "working to track down the origins". Yet the CDC web site for infectious diseases (see link at the end of this article) says the whole thing is completely false. Often these hoaxes have a health-related scare to them, playing on our natural fears to avoid disease and other nasty things. I didn't get this one, but supposedly there is a hoax that went around about flesh-eating-bacterial-infected bananas! Woo! I can't resist, here's a quote (complete with appeals to email it to everyone you love): Subject: Warning Banana Eater! Subject: Passing this on This warning bears sending. Send it to all those people you are concerned about. Please forward to everyone you love!! [Must use a lot of exclamation points!!!] I have checked the source and it is VALIDATED FROM THE CDC. (center for disease control in atlanta georgia) Warning: Several shipments of bananas from Costa Rica have been infected with necrotizing fasciitis, otherwise known as flesh eating bacteria. Recently this disease has decimated the monkey population in Costa Rica. We are now just learning that the disease has been able to graft itself to the skin of fruits in the region, most notably the Banana [Note the incorrect capitalization of "Banana" -- you wouldn't see this in a genuine email] which is Costa Rica's largest export. Until this finding scientist were not sure how the infection was being transmitted. It is advised not to purchase Bananas for the next three weeks as this is the period of time for which bananas that have been shipped to the US with the possibility of carrying this disease.... Time to steer clear of bananas, right? HA! It is all complete and total nonsense under a veneer of official sounding verbiage. The last Internet hoax that I'll give an example of is the free giveaway. Nothing gets people's attention like the word FREE. Note the obvious "hallmarks of the hoax" in the following excerpt: Subject: Free Bath and body works Certificate, it really works! [Allay our suspicions.] Date: Wed, 03 Nov 1999 Hi. I am, Michele Cordova, the founder of Bath & Body Works [Use an official sounding person instead of an official sounding organization or company. ] and I want your business. We are trying a new advertising campaign through the power of YOU, the consumer [Everyone wants to feel important]. In order for this to work, you need to send this e-mail to 13 people and I know that is not a lucky number but that is the number we need in order for this to work [What difference does the number 13 make in order for this to "work"?]. Our computer tracking system will keep count of how many people you send it to [No, it won't either.] so don't feel like you have to send it to thirteen people all at once. You may not send it to the same person more than once unless you [This should be the word "your". Funny how these letters often contain mistakes that would be fixed in a legitimate letter.] internet pals accidently delete the message, we wouldn't want them to miss out on this great offer [A creative ploy to really get us to FORWARD THIS EMAIL!]. To compensate you for your hard work, we are going to send you a $50 dollar gift certificate nationwide. This is not a joke [Of course not], it will be your loss if you don't send this to 13 PEOPLE [They just don't give up, do they?]. Thanks again! .... This is completely bogus as are the emails saying you'll get a free cellphone, Victoria's Secret silky thing, bag of M&M's, or a half dozen other things we all simply must have. So, given all this junk that makes its way into your inbox, what can you do? Page 4

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