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Hoaxes are misleading, often false, information that have spread or
are spreading – the most common channel of this spread being email.
Most users spread hoaxes inadvertently by forwarding them. Others
intentionally send out messages to trick unsuspecting recipients
into falling victims to moneymaking schemes.
This hoax encyclopedia is a repository of common hoaxes and is
dedicated to the fight against wasted time, bandwidth, and even
finances. It protects users against destructive misinformation, as
was the case of several recipients who deleted a legitimate system
file from their systems after receiving the JDBGMGR.EXE Hoax.
The hoaxes in this repository have been classified as malware-related,
urban legend, and scams and shams. False malware warnings,
health scares, and stories of Nigerian dictators should fall under
each category, respectively.
If you feel that an email you received is a hoax, keep it to yourself
and avoid forwarding it. Consider the following pointers on how to
identify a hoax:
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A reward, such as money, or a penalty, like bad luck, is usually
emphasized as a consequence for forwarding or not forwarding a
hoax message.
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A hoax message will usually try to gain credibility by appearing
to be based on sound technical standpoint or by referencing
legitimate or legitimate-sounding organizations or individuals.
You can forward all suspect hoax email to hoaxes@trendmicro.com.
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