12/22/03 - World's Tallest Woman
Meet Heather, "The Ultimate Amazon." If she looks taller than her stated height of 6 feet 5-1/2 inches, that's because her photos are deceiving.

12/22/03 - Solicitation of Holiday Mail for U.S. Troops
A message posted around the Web and circulating via forwarded email asks for holiday mail and packages to be sent directly to U.S. troops.

12/18/03 - The Queen, the President and the Flatulent Horse
During a state visit to England, President G.W. Bush goes on a fateful coach ride to Buckingham Palace with the Queen of England and a farting horse.

12/16/03 - The Ghost of the Sundarbans
Emailed photo allegedly shows a ghost standing next to a tourist visiting the Sundarbans in southwest Bangladesh. Two days later, the tourist died of a heart attack. Coincidence?

12/11/03 - Jelly Bracelets - An Invitation to Sex?
It is widely believed — apparently more so by adults than by the teenagers themselves — that the 'jelly bracelets' so popular among junior high school students nowadays are color-coded according to the wearer's willingness to perform certain sex acts.

12/09/03 - Howard Dean on Middle East Policy
Email flier accuses Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean of backing away from U.S. support for Israel by calling for an 'even-handed' approach to the Middle East conflict and labeling Hamas terrorists "soldiers."

12/08/03 - Amazing Photo of Montana Fires (2000)
This photo of two elk cows surrounded by an awesome conflagration is authentic, snapped on a digital camera by U.S. Forest Service fire behavior analyst John McColgan on August 6, 2000.

12/05/03 - Microsoft Xbox Giveaway
Email promises a free Xbox gaming console to 'lucky winners' in a 'promotional competition' supposedly affiliated with Microsoft. The latter denies any knowledge of it.

12/03/03 - Buy Pink & White M&Ms to Support Breast Cancer Research
Email flier urges recipients to buy special pink and white M&Ms to help fund breast cancer research through the SUsan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

12/02/03 - Soldier's Mother Solicits Emails of Support for U.S. Troops in Afghanistan
An email chain letter started by Connie Wells of Lufkin, TX, whose son is serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, solicits messages of support for troops who won't be home for Christmas this year.

12/01/03 - Abercrombie & Fitch Catalog Sells 'Group Sex' to Teens
Forwarded email flier urges consumers to protest Abercrombie & Fitch's 2003 'A&F Quarterly' magazine, which features young adults in various stages of undress engaging in 'group sex.'

11/22/03 - Robert Matthews: A Tale of Inspiration on 9/11
A retired firefighter dies in the ruins of the World Trade Center after saving a pregnant woman, who goes on to name the child after her rescuer.

11/20/03 - Missing Child: Dong-Yue (Cecilia) Zhang
TRUE: An Amber Alert is in effect for 9-year-old Dong-Yue (Cecilia) Zhang, who was abducted from her home in Toronto on October 19, 2003 and remains missing.

11/19/03 - The Eye of God (Hubble Space Telescope Photo)
This authentic, much-emailed NASA photograph taken by the Hubble Space Telescope has been labeled 'The Eye of God.'

11/17/03 - 'Mystic River' Boycott
Email flier urges Americans to boycott the film 'Mystic River' because two of its stars, Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, have made outspoken statements against President Bush and the war in Iraq.

11/17/03 - 'Naked Chef' 2004 Calendar
A photograph purporting to show the cover of a new Jamie Oliver calendar generated a fair amount of Internet chatter this past week because, in the words of Sun columnist Ian King, "people thought the Naked Chef was showing off a whopping French stick between his legs."

11/15/03 - FCC Approves Use of "F" Word on TV and Radio
Email protest: American Family Association urges letter-writing campaign in response to an FCC ruling allowing limited use of the 'F-word' in radio and TV broadcasts.

11/07/03 - Gertrude M. Jones' Anti-Bush Obituary
October 2, 2003 obituary for Gertrude M. Jones, dead at 81, requests that memorial gifts be made to any organization that seeks the removal of President George Bush from office.

11/07/03 - Toilet Paper Shortage Predicted Due to California Fires
"News story" circulated via email claims a major toilet paper factory burned down in the recent southern California wildfires, causing a paper shortage and predicted "run" on TP.

11/07/03 - A Day at Baltimore Airport
TRUE: In the overcrowded Baltimore Airport on October 27, ordinary citizens voluntarily gave up their airline seats to U.S. troops on two-week leave from Iraq.

11/05/03 - Prayer Request for Baby Delaney
Outdated but basically accurate email prayer request on behalf of 8-month-old Delaney Parrish, who was seriously burned by hot oil from a Fry Daddy deep fryer in 2001. She is now mostly recovered.

11/03/03 - 'Crybaby Serial Killer' - Australian Variants
Australian variants of email rumor claim a serial killer may be using recordings of a crying baby to coax unsuspecting women into inviting him into their homes in Sydney and Melbourne.

10/29/03 - Deer on a Pole
Emailed photos allegedly document the discovery of a dead deer high atop a power pole in a remote area of Baltimore (or Winnipeg, Manitoba, depending on version).

10/24/03 - First Name Survey Chain Letter
Email chain letter purports to be a 'survey' of first names started by a teacher for her daughter, but it's just more junk clogging our inboxes.

10/23/03 - The Sushi Memo
A formal three-page memorandum, complete with exhibits and footnotes, purportedly written last July by a paralegal in a New York law firm in response to a partner's request for lunch delivery options.

10/20/03 - Identity Theft via Doubletree Hotel Key Cards
False email rumor claims hotel key cards are routinely encoded with customers' personal information, resulting in identity theft by employees.

10/17/03 - The Breast Cancer Site - Click to Donate Free Mammograms
TRUE: Clicking on sponsor's ads at the Breast Cancer Site provides funding for free mammograms to low-income women.

10/10/03 - Study: Fellatio May Decrease the Risk of Breast Cancer in Women
Web page masquerading as a CNN/AP news story claims women can decrease their risk of breast cancer by "performing the act of fellatio on a regular basis."

10/06/03 - Fw: DIGITAL CAMERA FOR SALE
'Last photo' supposedly taken by the seller of a digital camera shows a rampaging bull heading straight for the lens.

09/29/03 - Dr. James Dobson vs. Petition #2493
A 2003 email variant of the 1970s-vintage petition expressing outrage over an alleged attempt by atheists to institute a government ban on religious programming in the United States.

09/25/03 - Magic Johnson Is in a Coma, Near Death
Hoax email purporting to be a "news item" from CNN claims famed basketball player Earvin "Magic" Johnson is in a coma and dying in a Los Angeles hospital.

09/23/03 - Lead in Lipstick
Email flier claims name-brand lipsticks contain 'cancer-causing' lead and that consumers can test for its presence in products by scratching them with a 24K gold ring.

09/18/03 - Hurricane Isabel Photo
Emailed photo purports to show the approach of Hurricane Isabel at sea, September 2003.

09/17/03 - Email Protest: Target Corp. Subsidiary Sells FCUK Brand Products
Email flier criticizes Target Corp. subsidiary Marshall Field's for marketing 'FCUK' brand fragrance and clothing to teenagers.

09/02/03 - WTC Postage Stamp Commemorates 9/11
Emailed image is purportedly the artwork for a new stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001.

08/26/03 - Con Ed Reimbursements for Blackout Food Spoilage
Email flier claims electrical utility Con Edison will reimburse residential power customers in New York up to $350 for food spoilage caused by the August 14 blackout.

08/22/03 - Satellite Image of Northeast Blackout
Emailed photo purports to show satellite view of the 2003 east coast blackout.

08/16/03 - Debbie Shwartz Chain Letter
Email plea from a troubled woman calling herself 'Debbie Shwartz' claims AOL will donate 15 cents on her behalf for every 12 times the chain letter is forwarded.

08/04/03 - Qur'an Verse 9:11
"For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah; and there was peace."

07/31/03 - Close Encounter with Mars
According to an email circular, August 27, 2003 will bring the closest encounter between Mars and Earth in recorded history.

07/29/03 - 'Do Not Call' Cola Giveaway Scam
Email flier warns that by submitting a mail-in form to choose your favorite cola, you grant telemarketers consent to contact you even if your name is on the National Do Not Call Registry.

07/14/03 - Tampax Pearl Tampons Warning
Anonymous email rumor claims loose fibers from Tampax Pearl tampons caused yeast infection and cervical bleeding in a user.

07/07/03 - Does a Blue Whale Produce 400 Gallons of Sperm?
Ever wondered why the sea is so salty? This emailed "Fact of the Day" (complete with photo documentation) claims that a blue whale produces 400 gallons of sperm in a single mating session. I don't buy it.

07/04/03 - G.W. Bush to USS Lincoln: 'I Have the Balls'
Did President Bush radio the message 'I have the balls' to the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln just before the jet transporting him touched down on May 1, 2003?

07/04/03 - National Do Not Call Registry
TRUE: You can now have your name and phone number removed from most telemarketers' call lists by visiting a government Website and signing the National Do Not Call Registry.

06/27/03 - Gen. 'Black Jack' Pershing vs. Muslim Terrorists
Did U.S. General 'Black Jack' Pershing rid the Philippines of Islamic extremism in 1911 by executing a group of Muslim terrorists and burying them in a grave filled with pig's blood and entrails?

06/24/03 - 'Life Is Beautiful' Virus
If you receive an email with an attachment called "Life Is Beautiful.pps," don't open it! Hoax virus warning circulating since 2002.

06/24/03 - 'It Takes Guts to Say Jesus' Virus
If you receive an email titled "It Takes Guts to Say Jesus," do not open it! Hoax virus warning circulating since 1999.

06/24/03 - The Dropped Chalk ('It Takes Guts to Say Jesus')
Atheist college professor receives miraculous comeuppance after challenging God to prove His existence by preventing a piece of dropped chalk from breaking when it hit the floor.

06/28/03 - The Beetle Boy Saga
The unbelievable-but-apparently-true saga of 13-year-old Chandan Goswami of India, the boy who urinated live, winged beetles.

06/18/03 - Best Buy 'Fraud Alert' Email Scam
An email claiming to be a "Fraud Alert" from Best Buy is actually a scam designed to trick people into divulging their personal information to identity thieves via bogus Websites.

06/17/03 - British Airways 'Free Flight' Offer Is a Hoax
A new version of a three-year-old old email hoax claims British Airways is giving away free flights to users who forward a promotional chain letter. Don't believe it, the company warns.

06/16/03 - 'Good Samaritan' Returning $5 Bill May Have Been Serial Killer
Email rumor claims a man posing as a good samaritan attempted to gain entry to a woman's vehicle by "returning" a $5 bill she supposedly dropped. Was he the Baton Rouge serial killer?

06/06/03 - Cocoa Mulch
Currently circulating email warning about health hazards posed by cocoa mulch fertilizer to pets — particularly dogs — is mostly accurate.

06/05/03 - Trash Bin Pups
This forwarded email seeking homes for nine puppies found abandoned in a trash bin is heartrending and true, but outdated. The good news is that all the puppies have been adopted by new owners.

06/02/03 - Starbucks vs. Israel
Is it true that specialty coffee chain Starbucks has closed all its stores in Israel, while still doing business in surrounding Arab countries?

05/30/03 - The Value of Undies
Zipless variant of "The Unzipped Mechanic," a very old legend in which a woman mistakes a mechanic working under the family car for her husband and proceeds to give the man the surprise of his life.

05/26/03 - The Snake in the Computer
Has your computer ever hissed at you?  Here's a tale, complete with shocking photos, of a woman who probably wishes she'd called Animal Control instead of Tech Support when her PC began making strange noises.

05/20/03 - Crucifying Mel
Rumor has it that Mel Gibson may harbor anti-Semitic sentiments and that his new movie "The Passion," which depicts the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life, blames Jews for his crucifixion and death.

05/14/03 - 'iLoo' Internet Toilet - Hoax or Not?
Marketing fiasco over announcement of Internet-ready portapotties in the U.K. has Microsoft executives flushing.

05/09/03 - Amina Lawal Petition
Amnesty International disavows inaccurate 2003 email campaign on behalf of Amina Lawal, a Nigerian woman sentenced to death by stoning for allegedly committing adultery.

05/08/03 - Hand of Hope
Emailed photo shows the hand of a 21-week-old fetus grasping the finger of a surgeon performing a prenatal operation to treat the unborn child's spina bifida.

05/07/03 - The Giant Grizzly Bear
Are emailed pictures of a giant, 1,600-pound, man-eating grizzly bear allegedly killed in Alaska by a hunter or Forest Service employee real?

05/05/03 - Mr. Rogers - Trained to Kill?
Was Fred Rogers, longtime host of the children's TV show 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,' a trained sharpshooter with dozens of kills to his credit as a Marine sniper or Navy Seal?

05/03/03 - Captain Kangaroo, War Hero
In a story supposedly told by actor Lee Marvin on The Tonight Show years ago, he remembers serving in combat with fellow U.S. Marine Bob "Captain Kangaroo" Keeshan, whom he calls "the bravest man I ever knew."

04/29/03 - The Sandstorm
Oddly familiar tale of a company of U.S. Marines miraculously saved from certain disaster when a fierce sandstorm and torrential rains uncover a hidden Iraqi minefield.

04/21/03 - Boycott France!
Best check the facts before tossing out your Cartier jewels and Yoplait yogurt. Not all the companies listed in the various "Boycott France" chain letters now circulating are actually French.

04/16/03 - French's Mustard: 'We May Be Yellow, but We're Not French!'
The latest in the annals of France-bashing: a statement attributed to the manufacturers of French's Mustard disavowing anything in common with France — except being yellow.

04/15/03 - Pep Boys Firing All Military Employees?
Email rumor claims that Pep Boys, the national auto parts chain based in Philadelphia, is summarily firing all reservist and National Guard employees called up for active duty in the Iraq war.

04/09/03 - SARS Rumors Create Own Epidemic ... of Fear
Variants of a widespread rumor claim the SARS epidemic threatens local communities across North America via infected workers at restaurants and groceries in Chinatowns and other Asian neighborhoods.

03/31/03 - Yellow Ribbon 'Tradition' Is of Recent Origin
Displaying yellow ribbons to honor U.S. troops fighting overseas has become such a ubiquitous and familiar symbol that many people assume its origins to be quite old. Folklorists say its history stretches back little more than 20 years.

03/29/03 - Dead Frog Found in Can of Kroger Peas
Irate consumer Bryan Piper complains in a forwarded email about finding a tiny dead frog inside a freshly-opened can of peas. Photos attached!

03/27/03 - Dick Cheney's Daughter to Act as 'Human Shield' in Iraq?
The office of Vice President Dick Cheney denies rumors stemming from overseas press reports that one of his daughters will go to Baghdad for the purpose of becoming a "human shield" for Saddam Hussein's forces in the Iraq war.

03/25/03 - Do Cell Phones Pose a Fire Hazard at the Gas Pump?
Email alert attributed to Shell Oil claims there have been documented cases of mobile phone use causing serious vehicular fires and injury to drivers at service stations. Caveat lector!

03/19/03 - You'll Never Eat Sushi Again...
Found in our inbox: disturbing images of what appears to be a worm infestation of a live human brain. Is this really what can happen when you eat raw fish?

03/18/03 - Can You Balance Raw Eggs on the Equinox?
The answer is yes, you can! But it's not magic, nor is it the result of "special gravitational forces" that supposedly come into play on the first day of spring. Join us as we plumb the not-so-ancient mysteries of egg balancing.

03/12/03 - Sexually Explicit PUMA Ads are Fake, Says Company
Two bogus images purporting to be fashion ads for PUMA sneakers became the talk of the Internet last week as Webloggers posted and reposted them from site to site, hotly debating their authenticity.

03/08/03 - 'Amazing' Satellite Photos of Columbia Space Shuttle Explosion
These stunningly clear, close-up images purporting to show the Space Shuttle Columbia blowing up in orbit are circulating via email. Were they really taken by an Israeli spy satellite?

03/03/03 - Are Terrorists Buying UPS Uniforms on eBay?
Despite a plethora of email alerts claiming that mysterious buyers have bought a large number of UPS uniforms on eBay at very high prices, both companies say they're unaware of any such transactions.

02/24/03 - Open Letter to the French People
Did Senator Joe Lieberman pen this open letter excoriating France for being soft on anti-Semitism?

02/22/03 - The Real Deal About Chemical, Nuclear and Biological Warfare
SFC (Ret.) Red Thomas's long email explaining how to protect oneself against chemical, nuclear and biological weapons is authentic, but experts disagree as to its accuracy.

02/21/03 - Latest Fashion Craze in Japan: Imitation See-Through Skirts!
In which we are asked to believe that Japanese women are wearing skirts imprinted with trompe l'oeil panties.

02/20/03 - The Lion Cut
We're pretty sure these photos of one "seriously pissed-off cat" just back from the groomer are real, but the accompanying story is too good to be true.

02/13/03 - Air Force Jets Fly in 'USA' Formation
Emailed photo purports to show a Veterans Day flyby of T-38 Talon jet fighters in a formation spelling out "USA" over the "Taj Mahal" building at Randolph Air Force Base.

02/08/03 - Rice for Peace
Email flier urges recipients who object to a U.S. war with Iraq to send small bags of rice marked "If your enemies are hungry, feed them" to President Bush.

02/06/03 - Dame Edna Insults Hispanics in Vanity Fair
Email petition urges a boycott of Vanity Fair magazine due to alleged racism in its "Ask Dame Edna" column.

02/04/03 - Illegal Alien Smuggled Inside Dashboard of Car
The accompanying story is suspect, but emailed photos of a woman being smuggled into the U.S. crammed inside the dashboard of a vehicle are authentic.

01/28/03 - Cruise Control and Hydroplaning
TRUE: Using cruise control when driving at high speeds on wet pavement can cause a car to hydroplane and might result in a deadly accident.

01/24/03 - Free Beer!
Just visit this Website and fill out an online form to win a free promotional case of beer from Anheuser-Busch or Miller Brewing Co. (depending on which version of this prank message you receive).

01/18/03 - If a Baby Cries...
DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!!! A new email rumor claims that a diabolical serial killer may be using recordings of a baby's cries to lure unsuspecting women into his clutches.

01/16/03 - 'Women United Against War' Petition
Email petition falsely claims that a "Congresswoman Barbara Bell" led a walkout by 25 female members during the vote on a war powers resolution for President Bush.

01/13/03 - In God We Distrust?
Does the U.S. Postal Service prohibit posters bearing the motto "In God We Trust" from being placed in its facilities?

01/09/03 - Collect $20 in CD Price-Fixing Settlement
According to this email, if you bought any CD, cassette or vinyl album between 1995 and 2000 you are eligible to file a claim and receive a refund of up to $20.

01/03/03 - Pluck Yew (Origin of 'The Finger')
Supposedly, both the expression "F--- you" and the obscene gesture commonly referred to in America as "the finger" originated with uppity British archers during the Hundred Years' War.

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