Did you get this email? “Warning: Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer. Man’s hands suddenly catch fire when lighting a cigarette after cleaning his hands with Purell.” The email includes a before and after picture of the man’s hands, which look severely burnt. It then goes on to explain the dangers of using Purell. The email isn’t true. This email and many others like it get circulated continuously on the internet by well meaning email friends.
The Purell Hand Sanitizer email is among the urban legends/myths circulating the internet right now. Before you forward the next “warning” email check it out on Snopes. com. Snopes is the best place to verify or debunk internet myths. The organization of the website and its rating system is quick and easy to use. I love nothing more than to post a Snopes explanation to such an email and request that those who sent it now take time to send it in reverse.
By the way, the photograph in the Purell Sanitizer email was of a man’s whose hands were burned by electricity. The ingredients in Purell and other hand sanitizers can be flammable, but the FDA has determined that the chance is extremely minimal and such flames are easily extinguished.
The following are the top 25 internet myths circulating as determined by current news reports and access to the Snopes site for verification. I think I received the first one on the list from everyone in my address book. Most of them are frauds, but there are a few real warnings, so read the list carefully, and get in the habit of visiting Snopes for yourself.
Snopes Myth #1 The Gas Out
Several versions of the “Gas Out” myth periodically make their rounds, especially when gas prices get as high as they are now. The idea is that by boycotting certain stations, supposedly supplied by Arabian producers, or boycotting gas for a period, such as 8 days, the group effort will get gas prices to decline. The truth is if one gas company can’t sell out its product through their own gas stations, they will sell to other companies. Gas prices are determined by the price of crude, gas companies, and supply and demand. Boycotting one or two stations, will not affect the price of gasoline, as it will really not affect the overall demand. It is a simple economic equation.
Snopes Myth #2 Life is Wonderful Powerpoint Virus
This is supposedly a virus delivered via Microsoft’s Powerpoint. It is also called the “Everything is Beautiful” virus. It is said to be extremely dangerous and warns readers not to open any powerpoint attachments to their emails. This virus is a hoax. It is true that Powerpoint, Word, Excel, or any other computer program you open or download can contain a computer virus. That is why it is important to keep your virus software updated, and running constantly, including scanning incoming emails. Many email programs now scan attachments before they will allow the user to open them. As for the “Life is Wonderful” virus hoax, it has been circulating for over four years. Like all other good urban legends, it rears its ugly head ever so often to make another round of emails.
Snopes Myth #3 Jay Leno Urges America to Focus on the Positive
This email is inherently dangerous. It just isn’t true. Following Hurricane Katrina, the bird flu epidemic, and terrorists attacks Leno quipped in a monologue that it didn’t seem like now is a good time to be focusing on taking God out of the pledge of allegiance. The essay in the email was written by a Craig R. Smith. The essay is quite good, and does, as the email often says “hit the nail on the head.” However, it was not written by Leno. If you haven’t received it yet, look for it soon in an email inbox near you.
Snopes Myth #4 Hercules: World’s Biggest Dog, World’s Heaviest Dog
Snopes indicates that the photo of the two people walking, one leading a horse and one leading an obviously oversized dog, started circulating on the Internet long before the story became attached to it. It is true that Guinness found that a Bull Mastiff named Hercules is the world’s heaviest dog. However, the picture of the real Hercules, versus the photo attached to the Internet story is profoundly different. The real Hercules is primarily brown, not black. He is huge, but he looks like a dog, not a computer enhanced image of a mammoth dog. Check out Snopes for a view of the difference in the pictures.
Snopes Myth #5 809 Area Code Scams
According to Snopes, there is some truth to this email. On the other hand, the current emails exaggerate the simplicity of the scheme, the extent of the scheme, and the amount of money lost by individuals who have fallen prey to the scheme. First of all, the area code need not be 809, for the requesting number to hook you up with a scam. There are other indicators that may clue you in as to whether a telephone call request to an unfamiliar area code and number are a scam. Alerts that you have won a sweepstakes, that a family member is hurt, debt collections you are not familiar with, or invitations for employment with “mystery shoppers” should all serve as red flags that you shouldn’t return the call. My policy is that if they really want to talk to me, they will call back.
The 809 area code seems to have stuck, according to Snopes, because it is easy to associate with 800 numbers. It is an area code that is easy to remember. What typically happens on a scam call is that the caller is connected through a pay-per-call service. They are then relayed to a fax machine, or an answering machine with a lengthy recorded message. This is where the charges come in.
It is helpful to know that the National Fraud Information Center keeps track of numbers that have been reported as fraudulent.
Snopes Myth #6 Invitation or Olympic Torch Virus
This email warns you not to open anything with the attachment “Invitation.” The claim is that it will open an “Olympic Torch” that will destroy your entire CD drive. The email assures readers that this virus has been verified by Microsoft, McAfee, and CNN. Snopes reports that none of the entities named have ever identified such a virus. Snopes find it similar to a virus that circulated during the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Snopes Myth #7 Mysterious Staircase Email
It seems the thirst for a good story never ends in email circles. The same is true of the story of the mysterious staircase at Santa Fe’s Loretto Chapel. The story is often circulated that the Santa Fe Loretto Chapel is a miraculous spiral staircase, built by a miraculous stranger, and stands without support. The story has been perpetuated over the years and in recent years began surfacing in emails. One of the first amazing reports is that the staircase was built without nails. This isn’t unusual for construction during the period that this staircase was constructed. When nails weren’t readily available, carpenters came up with various techniques to join wood pieces including hook and groove, and puzzle like combinations. That the Santa Fe Chapel staircase is built without nails is not miraculous. When examined by a physicists, it was found that the staircase does have support. It is supported at the top and bottom, and is built in such a concentric shape that it literally builds its own coil. It is even reported that in the early years, the staircase didn’t have handrails, and the nuns, fearing a fall, would come down on their hands and knees. Even after a handrail was added, visitors often complained of a springing affect in the stairs. The staircase has been closed to public access for years. The Chapel is now part of a privately owned museum. The continuation of the story is in the best interest of the proprietors to keep visitors interested.
Snopes Myth #8 Darrell Scott Testimony
Darrell Scott is the father of one of the girls killed in the tragic Columbine shooting, in April 1999. Darrell Scott did testify at a subcommittee hearing on “Pending Firearms Legislation and the Administration’s Enforcement of Current Gun Laws.” The meeting was far from a meeting with a convocation of national leaders. It was before a small subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee.
The words attributed to Scott in the email are his. However, his testimony was one of eight presented that day before the subcommittee. The email reports that “it wasn’t received well.” That is not true. There was no particular objection to Scott’s testimony. Of the facts and opinions presented that day, Scott’s may have been least relevant, because he relied less on hard statistics and facts and was more the emotional appeal of a broken father.
Snopes speculates that the rumor started because of unusual AP press coverage of a subcommittee meeting. These meetings are held all the time with little or no coverage.
Snopes Myth #9 Jury Duty Fraud
Snopes warn that this fraud is real. It has happened to several people, although the damage or potential damage from the scam is unknown. The email warns of a call from a local court reprimanding you for not showing up for jury duty. Once the victim says they never received notification of jury duty, the scammer proceeds to “verify” information by requesting personal information.
Courts usually never make phone calls, but send letters via United States Postal mail. Also, court workers would never ask for your personal identification over the phone. It is just good practice to protect your identity by never giving out personal information, especially your social security number, over the phone. Be especially guarded with credit card information, including expiration dates, and security codes, as well.
This is one email that is worth forwarding to friends for their protection. The incident of this type of fraud is not very high, to date. However, your heads-up to a friend may prevent them from becoming a victim. At the top of the email you can add that this fraud scheme has been verified by Snopes, and should be taken seriously.
Snopes Myth #10 Citgo Gasoline Purchases
This is a strange, politically motivated email that has been known to swing both ways. One version of the email says to buy Citgo gas, an export of Venezuelan President Chavez. This email insists that Venezuela is a democracy and has a right to participate in the free market. It is also a rallying cry to lodge a protest against President Bush with every gasoline purchase.
Another version of the email tells readers to boycott Citgo gas. It also relates the ownership of the gasoline to Venezuelan President Chavez, but decries Chaves as an enemy of America and an enemy of democracy.
The truth is many companies other than Citgo buy their crude from Venezuela. Any boycott or purchase of Citgo gasoline would amount to little more than a symbolic acceptance or rejection of Bush and/or Chavez. If Citgo were boycotted, it could likely find other buyers for its products, as the demand for energy and petroleum is on the rise. Conversely, Citgo is involved in community service projects like providing heat for low income housing and tribal reservations. Harming them doesn’t make sense in terms of their contributions to our economy and society.
New versions of these emails begin to circulate all the time. The bottom line, is they are an attempt to control and rally masses with scare tactics.
Snopes Myth #11 Glade Plug-Ins Fire Hazard
This popular myth tells the tragic story of a family’s house that burned to the ground. Upon inspection, the fire investigator pulled a Glade Plug-in from the ashes and blamed the house fire on the product. Snopes reports there is absolutely no truth to this rumor. According to their research, there have been no fires related to the Glade Plug-ins. The rumor may have started due to a voluntary recall of the Glad Extra Outlet Oil Fresheners. SC Johnson found a loose connection that could possibly cause a fire hazard, and issued a voluntary recall. This may be the source of the rumor. A television reporter did a story trying to show a link between the air fresheners and fires, but the evidence was inconclusive. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said that many times fires that investigators attempt to link to air fresheners are due to faulty wiring.
As long as your wiring is good, SC Johnson assures customers that they can use the plug in Fresheners without fear. If you have wiring concerns, or something flickers when you plug in an Air Freshener consult an electrician. It isn’t the Glade Air Freshener that is the problem. It is your wiring.
