Sunday, September 18, 2005
Favorite links—revealing hoaxes and scams
After a weekend away, visiting a son and daughter, I'm back with my Sunday night favorite links feature. This time let's look at some links that don't necessarily affect your bottom line, but can put your mind at ease—links that debunk common hoaxes and scams.
McAfee and Symantec virus hoax info
At least one of these sites should be on your Favorites list. There are plenty of virus hoaxes that circulate around the web, warning of bogus virus attacks and identifying files on your computer that they urge you to delete to remove these bogus viruses.
Almost always, these warnings about bogus viruses urge you to delete a file that is essential to your computer running properly. So whenever you receive a panicked email urging you to delete some file from your computer to destroy a potential virus, first check one of these sites to determine whether you're really deleting a virus or merely turning your computer into an expensive doorstop.
Current Netlore
This site doesn't protect you so much from actions that could damage your computer, but it does protect you from making a fool out of yourself by believing some of the urban legends that circulate around the Web. It contains a comprehensive list of shocking—and totally false—stories that many people believe because they "read it on the Internet, so it must be true!"
Brad Christianson Exhibit at Quatloos
This one's a personal favorite, not because it's particularly useful (although I have to admit that I've never checked out the main part of the site on tax and investment scams—for all I know, it might be quite useful), but because it's a real hoot!
Brad Christianson has entertained countless netizens with his hilarious documentation of his attempts to fool the Nigerian scammers whose offers to deposit $40,000,000 or more in your bank account if you only give them unfettered access to it. He has passed himself off as Richard Nixon and as the personal surgeon to Spongebob Squarepants to scammers not familiar with American culture.
If you spend any amount of time deleting such scam emails from your inbox, you'll enjoy the way he strings these scammers along with the most outrageous stories.
Jeff
After a weekend away, visiting a son and daughter, I'm back with my Sunday night favorite links feature. This time let's look at some links that don't necessarily affect your bottom line, but can put your mind at ease—links that debunk common hoaxes and scams.
McAfee and Symantec virus hoax info
At least one of these sites should be on your Favorites list. There are plenty of virus hoaxes that circulate around the web, warning of bogus virus attacks and identifying files on your computer that they urge you to delete to remove these bogus viruses.
Almost always, these warnings about bogus viruses urge you to delete a file that is essential to your computer running properly. So whenever you receive a panicked email urging you to delete some file from your computer to destroy a potential virus, first check one of these sites to determine whether you're really deleting a virus or merely turning your computer into an expensive doorstop.
Current Netlore
This site doesn't protect you so much from actions that could damage your computer, but it does protect you from making a fool out of yourself by believing some of the urban legends that circulate around the Web. It contains a comprehensive list of shocking—and totally false—stories that many people believe because they "read it on the Internet, so it must be true!"
Brad Christianson Exhibit at Quatloos
This one's a personal favorite, not because it's particularly useful (although I have to admit that I've never checked out the main part of the site on tax and investment scams—for all I know, it might be quite useful), but because it's a real hoot!
Brad Christianson has entertained countless netizens with his hilarious documentation of his attempts to fool the Nigerian scammers whose offers to deposit $40,000,000 or more in your bank account if you only give them unfettered access to it. He has passed himself off as Richard Nixon and as the personal surgeon to Spongebob Squarepants to scammers not familiar with American culture.
If you spend any amount of time deleting such scam emails from your inbox, you'll enjoy the way he strings these scammers along with the most outrageous stories.
Jeff
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