Hoaxes are almost always e-mail messages. They range in content from organizing a “gas out” day to suggesting everyone e-mail a child with cancer. Hoaxes are not only a waste of time, they can consume both human and computer resources unnecessarily and may trivialize serious issues. We must all take responsibility for the messages we send via e-mail, especially those we simply hit forward button and send to everyone in our address book.

Hoaxes should not be taken lightly. By forwarding them on, we encourage those who create them to continue and we waste valuable resources. Before forwarding a message on, check theses sites to see if your message has already been identified as a hoax.