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RISKVUE ARCHIVE | FEATURE STORIES
Send This E-mail To Ten People And Get Free Beer
By Marcus Covas
Have you sent or received any e-rumors lately? If you have an e-mail account and a network of friends and colleagues, chances are that you have. Like spoken rumors, e-mail rumors spread from person to person (or computer to computer) without anyone verifying the source and accuracy of the information being propagated. The most successful e-rumors seem to be those that prey on people’s emotions, such as fear, sympathy and greed. Though a simple e-mail message may appear to be harmless, e-rumors can be damaging to an individual or organization in at least two ways. E-rumors can (1) waste time and resources, and (2) damage reputations.
Preying On Greed
Who can refuse free beer? In April of this year we received an official-looking e-mail that appeared to come straight from the corporate offices of Miller Brewing Company.
The E-rumor
We would like to make a special offer to our valued customers. If this email makes it to 2,000,000 people by 12:00 PM on New Year’s Eve of 1999, we will send a coupon for one six-pack of any of our Miller Brand beverages. In the event that 2,000,000 people are reached, our tracker/counter, embedded in this message, will report to us with the list of names and email addresses. Thereafter, each email address will be sent an electronic coupon which you can print out and redeem at any Miller Brand beverage carrying store. The coupons will be sent as soon as 2,000,000 people are reached, so the sooner, the better.
The Key Indication That It Is A Hoax
Aside from the obvious fact that giving away 2,000,000 free six-packs of beer is a no-win situation, Miller would be breaking federal laws if they did not have a system to check 2,000,000 IDs to verify every recipient is of legal drinking age.
The Organization’s Response
It was an e-mail hoax that was so prevalent that Miller had to issue a press release which stated, “Modern technology is very powerful, however in this instance the power of E-mail and the Internet has been misused to circulate a misleading and false E-mail that did not come from Miller Brewing Company or any of our employees.”
Preying On Fear
In the beginning of this year, an e-mail began circulating around the Internet that illustrates the potential damage an e-rumor can do a company’s reputation. This message is referring to a feature on Blue Mountain’s Web site where you can download greeting cards to your personal computer.
The E-rumor
Just received a call from family. A friend of theirs opened a card from Blue Mountain Cards and their system crashed. Do not open Blue Mountain Cards until further notice. Virus has infiltrated their system...pass it on...
Key Indication That It Is A Hoax
Look no further than the source of the message. The information was received from a friend of the family.
The Organization’s Response
The CIAC (Computer Incident Advisory Capability, a division of The Department of Energy that monitors and reports on computer viruses) has confirmed that this e-mail message is a hoax. Nevertheless, Blue Mountain’s operations were severely disrupted by the e-rumor. The president of Blue Mountain, Stephen Schutz, said “The perpetrator of this hoax sent this false e-mail message to another person who in turn sent it to another person and on and on. It took only 2 weeks for the hoax to become so wide-spread that Blue Mountain became deluged with thousands of e-mails and calls from website users.”
Preying On Sympathy
Perhaps the most powerful of e-rumors are those that prey on people’s sympathetic emotions.
The E-rumor
Little Jessica Mydek is seven years old and is suffering from an acute and very rare case of cerebral carcinoma. This condition causes severe malignant brain tumors and is a terminal illness. The doctors have given her six months to live. As part of her dying wish, she wanted to start a chain letter to inform people of this condition and to send people the message to live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment. Furthermore, the American Cancer Society and several corporate sponsors have agreed to donate three cents toward continuing cancer research for every person that gets forwarded this message. Please give Jessica and all cancer victims a chance. If there are any questions, send them to the American Cancer Society at acs@aol.com.
Key Indication That It Is A Hoax
The American Cancer Society would not be able to monitor how many times an e-mail has been forwarded.
Response
According to an American Cancer Society press release, “The American Cancer Society is greatly disturbed by reports of a fraudulent chain letter circulating on the internet which lists the American Cancer Society as a “corporate sponsor” but which has in no way been endorsed by the American Cancer Society.”
So how do you recognize an e-rumor when it arrives in your e-mail in-box?
The following sections of the CIAC Web site offer some advice:
RELATED INFORMATION
A list of recent hoaxes
Top Ten Viruses
riskVue | The webzine for risk management professionals
July 1999
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