Am I the only one who rolls my eyes at the continuous flow of email hoaxes and Facebook spam? It certainly seems that way, since so many of my friends still forward them. I thought it was about time I did a quick guide to vetting hoax and chain emails.

Ten sure fire signs an email is a hoax

Photo: Andrew Huff http://www.flickr.com/photos/deadhorse/

1. A quick scan of the message reveals words to the effect of: “You must forward this to all your friends or <insert inane threat here>”
2. The body of the email is indented so far only one word fits to each line. HINT: This means it has been forwarded a zillion times
3. The message contains reference to that mysterious friend of a friend, you know these things never actually happen to someone you actually know!
4. OMG you’re going to win a free iPod, trip to Disneyland etc… Do you really believe that for even a second?
5. There are so many ‘click here’ links you can’t understand the content of the message. HINT: never click on a link unless you’re sure who sent it to you and what it is. This is where you get trojans and nasty spyware from.
6. You are offered an inheritance from an obscure Asian or African country from a distant royal you’ve never heard of. HINT: don’t give them your bank account details.
7. The story has a hint of Chicken Soup for the Soul about it. HINT: The poor orphan in <insert third world country here> does need help, but how is annoying your entire contact list with an email going to help?
8. The message is highly emotive, I’ve received many emails regarding safety of women after dark. This is just a scare tactic, check the local newspapers to see if there is an actual threat in your local area.
9. You’re being warned against a new strain of the flu or some sort of alien-like bug/creature. HINT: If it sounds straight out of The X Files or The Twilight Zone, it probably is.
10. The email is filled with spelling mistakes, alt caps (wHEn iT lOoKs liKe ThIS) or uses numbers in place of some characters, such as 3 instead of E. This is a tactic used by spammers to bypass spam filters.

Although they are not quite hoaxes, petitions are almost in the same league. Any message which asks for your full name, email, postal address or birthday should be immediately deleted, have you noticed these are the details asked of you to confirm your identity when talking to your bank?
Tips for checking the reliability of a suspect email

1. Before immediately hitting the forward button, weigh the contents of the email against your common sense
2. Google it before sending on
3. If Google reveals nothing try SCAMwatch, Hoax Slayer or Snopes

In all seriousness, there are some nasties out there doing the rounds and not only on email, there’s recently been a spate of viruses and spam on Facebook and other networks. Pay heed to the tips above and you’ll be able to avoid malicious programs from taking hold of your computer.

Related Posts:

• 10 tips on what it takes to create an online community
• Social Networks & Search experience growth in website referrals