Urban Legends

So you've received the latest message about a new form or CPR, rising gas prices, or radioactive cat litter.

Before warning lots of people about it, how do you ask, "Is it true?"  You can actually use Google or Snopes faster than the "Forward" button... and save yourself some embarrassment at the same time.

To use Snopes, go to snopes.com and use the Search line at the top of the page.  Type in a simple phrase, like "gas prices" or "cat litter" for a list of claims about those topics.  Snopes will tell you if its true or not.

To use Google, just copy a relatively unusual line from the message and paste it into Google.  Phrases with numbers or brand names work well.

Personally, I recommend Snopes over Google in this case.  Either one will probably work, but with Google you will have to read through several unrelated items and may even run into more copies of the claim without any real verification.  Snopes, on the other hand, does the research and clearly states if its true, false, or some mix of the two.

Which ever way you go, its worth checking your facts before forwarding a claim.  You can help stop false or even dangerous claims.  It may even save you from identity theft.

Warning: FaceBook Scams

Thanks to spam filters and common sense, most of us don't fall for scams, phishing, and worms in our email any more.  As a result, spammers and identity thieves have moved on to a new format:  FaceBook.  Actually, they're not picky.  They like Twitter, MySpace, and other social networking services, too.

If you see a post on any of those services, remember to review it like any email.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  For example, if a friend or even a famous person is telling you about a free offer for laptops, iPhones, or iPads, chances are good that someone broke into their account.


If you use FaceBook, I recommend taking a look at this article:  How To Prevent & Remove Facebook Malware or Virus.  They offer a lot of good advise about protecting yourself from becoming the victim of one of these scams.