Chain Emails: Don't Forward
If it says "send to 10 people" — delete it.
Spot a chain email
- "Forward this to 10 friends or bad luck."
- "Microsoft will pay you $1 for each forward." (FAKE.)
- "Bill Gates is sharing his fortune." (FAKE.)
- "Missing child — share everywhere." (Usually old + already found.)
- "Prayer request — pass it on." (Sentiment-bait.)
- Long forwarded email with 50 names in TO field.
Why they're harmful
- Spreads misinformation — friends think you vetted it.
- Exposes friends' emails to scammers (TO field harvesting).
- Some carry virus links / phishing.
- Clogs inboxes.
- Damages your credibility — people stop reading your emails.
Verify before sharing
- Snopes.com — search the headline. Free.
- FactCheck.org — political + health hoaxes.
- Reuters Fact Check — viral claims.
- Search the exact headline + word "hoax" on Google.
- If you can't verify in 2 min — don't share.
If you must forward something real
- Use BCC — protect friends' emails from harvesting.
- Delete the long forward chain at the bottom first.
- Add 1 sentence why it matters to YOU.
- Verify with Snopes first.
- Only send to people who'd actually want it.
Polite reply to chain-email senders
"Thanks for thinking of me — I checked Snopes and this one's a hoax. Wanted to let you know so you don't pass it on." Most senders appreciate it.