Monday 21 July 2008

How gullible are you?

It always amazes me how gullible recipients of emails are.

If someone rings you up or knocks on your door and says that a herd of elephants are due to run through Edgehill next weekend, would you immediately believe them and then tell 100 of your friends and acquaintances? Well, with the circus in town at the moment, maybe that's not the best example.

Let's say you were told that former Mayor Kevin Byrne was a card-carrying member of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il's political party? Okay, maybe another example that isn't so believable.

My point is, every day we receive an email or two that purports to say you must forward it on to everyone in your email list otherwise you'll get a nasty computer virus.. then cite several sources to claim how credible the information is. Yeah, right.

So I just got home after another day solving life's worries and the world's problems, and found this wee gem (copied below) in my inbox, only to see that half of Cairns and a huge amount of government department recipients all over the country had also been in the loop prior to myself.
If you've ever got caught out on by such emails before, I sugest you check out Snopes, it's a reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation, you know, crap like this email below. You'll find a heap of similar ones listed on this site. The only difference each time is, they're localised and some details added to make them look authentic.

I mean, do you think the AFP would actually send an email out to the entire country saying watch out for a computer virus? Get a grip... on reality!

The actual 'hoax' and the aim of the originator's email, is to get people to send the message onto 100's, if not 1000's, in a few hours. That's the real joke - and those that send it on.

  • To: Undisclosed-Recipient

    PLEASE READ THIS DO NOT DELETE. THIS WAS SENT TO ME FROM A RETIRED QUEENSLAND POLICE INSPECTOR WHO STILL HAS EXCELLENT CONTACTS.
    To:
    Undisclosed-Recipient;

    Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 9:29 AM
    Subject: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Australian Federal Police Warning .... don't delete ... pass it on

    TREVOR SMALLWOOD
    BRISBANE OFFICE
    Tel +61(0) 7 32221347 Ext 17347
    Fax +61(0) 7 32221219
    www.afp.gov.au

    PLEASE INFORM EVERYONE

    Emails with pictures of Osama Bin-Laden hanged are being sent and the moment that you open these emails your computer will crash and you will not be able to fix it!
    If you get an email along the lines of 'Osama Bin Laden Captured' or 'Osama Hanged' don't open the attachment.

    This e-mail is being distributed through countries around the globe ..

    Be considerate & send this warning to whomever you know.
    PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS:
    You should be alert during the next days:
    Do not open any message with an attached filed called 'Invitation' regardless of who sent it. It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer.

    This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list, that is why you should send this e-mail to all your contacts.
    It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.
    If you receive a mail called 'invitation', though sent by a friend, do not open it and shut down your computer immediately.

    This is the worst virus announced by CNN, it has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Di sc, where the vital information is kept.

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