So you have received a warning about something horrible. What should you actually do? How do find out if it's a hoax or true!
This is a really tricky and sensitive topic, let me explain you why!
The Source of Warning
You might have gotten the warning via your friend. You trust him and have no reason to doubt what he is saying. It might even appear in the message that your friend himself has been a victim of this virus or an other horrid online attack!
This appeals to our emotions and we want to react immediate in order to protect ourselves and our friends. Additionally we might want to revenge the person, in my example our friend who we think fell a victim this this attack.
The Authorities Quoted
We are used to listening to authorities such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft and even news papers. If we see that the message contains these authorities, we don't stop to question it.
Victim of Scam or Virus
You might have been previously a victim of scam or virus and know the horrid consequences, which simply provokes a strong emotional response in you and makes you panic.
How To Recognise a Hoax
Normally there are some tell tale signs:
- Scandalous wording
- Horrid consequences
- Urgency
- Suggestion to forward to as many as possible
Source That Warn About Hoaxes
You can normally find out if the message is a hoax just with few minutes of research. Here are places you can check:
- Common sense - does it ring true?
- Google - normally one of the first links will warn you if it's a hoax or not
- Hoax websites - many out there, most famous being www.snopes.com
- Wikipedia - yes, someone will write an article fast about a hoax, check it out on www.wikipedia.org.
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