You’ve got all of the latest anti-virus tools available. You use multiple firewalls. Everything is triple password protected, but how many times have you checked your mail, only to find that one of your friends has forwarded you something. Is it a joke? Maybe it’s a funny picture. Nope, it is one of those emails that you just can’t quite believe. How can you tell if it is real or if it is just a hoax? There is a litmus test that you can use to help yourself determine this.Let’s use the example of the alleged merger between Microsoft and AOL.
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THIS TOOK TWO PAGES OF THE TUESDAY USA TODAY - IT IS FOR REAL Subject: PLEEEEEEASE READ!!!! it was on GOOD MORNING AMERICA !!!! It was on the news! Kathy South Alcoa - EHS Maintenance Coordinator Phone: 765/771 - 3547 Pager : 765/420 - 6575 To all of my friends, I do not usually forward messages, But this is from my good friend Pearlas Sandborn and she really is an attorney. If she says that this will work - It will work. After all, What have you got to lose? SORRY EVERYBODY.. JUST HAD TO TAKE THE CHANCE!!! I'm an attorney, And I know the law. This thing is for real. Rest assured AOL and Intel will follow through with their promises for fear of facing a multimillion-dollar class action suit similar to the one filed by PepsiCo against General Electric not too long ago. Dear Friends; Please do not take this for a junk letter. Bill Gates sharing his fortune. If you ignore this, You will repent later. Microsoft and AOL are now the largest Internet companies and in an effort to make sure that Internet Explorer remains the most widely used program, Microsoft and AOL are running an e-mail beta test. When you forward this e-mail to friends, Microsoft can and will track it ( If you are a Microsoft Windows user) For a two weeks time period. For every person that you forward this e-mail to, Microsoft will pay you $245.00 For every person that you sent it to that forwards it on, Microsoft will pay you $243.00 and for every third person that receives it, You will be paid $241.00. Within two weeks, Microsoft will contact you for your address and then send you a check. Regards. Charles S Bailey General Manager Field Operations1-800-842-2332 Ext. 1085 or 904-1085 or RNX292-1085 Charles_Bailey@csx.com Charles_bailey@csx.com I thought this was a scam myself, But two weeks after receiving this e-mail and forwarding it on. Microsoft contacted me for my address and withindays, I receive a check for $24,800.00. You need to respond before the beta testing is over. If anyone can affoard this, Bill gates is the man. It's all marketing expense to him. Please forward this to as many people as possible. You are bound to get at least $10,000.00. We're not going to help them out with their e-mail beta test without getting a little something for our time. My brother's girlfriend got in on this a few months ago. When i went to visit him for the Baylor/UT game. She showed me her check. It was for the sum of $4,324.44 and was stamped "Paid in full" Like i said before, I know the law, and this is for real. Intel and AOL are now discussing a merger which would make them the largest Internet company and in an effort make sure that AOL remains the most widely used program, Intel and AOL are running an e-mail beta test. When you forward this e-mail to friends, Intel can and will track it (if you are a Microsoft Windows user) for a two week time period. First of all, read the mail carefully, what does it say? Is the body of it something that is even plausible? Second, have you heard it from anywhere else? Read your local paper, listen to your radio or watch your newscast. In the case of the merger, you can bet that you would have heard about long before you got the email on it. Lastly, since you heard about this on a computer, why not use a computer to verify the validity of your suspicious mail?A great site to use is Snopes. And when all else fails, you can always google it.By applying these techniques along with a little common sense, you will no longer be a victim of one of these “chain emails.” You will not be cursed by breaking any of these chains. You will now be able to delete these usless items from your inbox and enjoy your email all the more.