Ein Beispiel für eine Falschmeldung

So sieht eine typische Hoax-Mail aus:

 VIRUS WARNING!!!!!!!

  This is really important.  Please read this!!!!!

  If you receive an e-mail titled
  XXXXXXXXXXX or YYYYYYYYYYY
  do not open it!!!!!

  It will erase EVERYTHING on your hard drive!  Send this letter out to
as  many people as you can....this is a new virus and not many
people know  about it!! This information was received this morning by
IBM, please  share it with anyone that might access the Internet!!!

  This virus will destroy your hard drive and holds the potential
to DESTROY the hard drive of anyone whose mail is in your box and
whose mail is in their box and so on and on!!!!!

  So delete any message titled XXXXXXXXXXX or YYYYYYYYYYY ...this
virus can do major DAMAGE to worldwide networks!!!!

  PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND PEOPLE IN YOUR
MAILBOXES.
  AOL HAS SAID THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS VIRUS AND THERE IS NO
REMEDY FOR  THIS...FORWARD IT TO ALL YOUR ON-LINE FRIENDS
 A.S.A.P.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Denken Sie sich an die Stelle von 'XXXXXXXXXXX' und 'YYYYYYYYYYY' einen beliebigen Titel aus der Liste der bekannten Hoaxes.
Meist kommen in den Mails, die Sie erhalten, noch erstmal einige Dutzend bis hundert E-Mail-Adressen von Leuten, die diese Mail vor Ihnen bekommen und sie weitergeleitet haben. Außerdem finden sich oft diverse '> >>' am Anfang jeder Zeile.

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