Business: Companies and Products

Online photos show a can of Diet Pepsi manufactured in the Middle East emblazoned with a graphic design Americans find reminiscent of the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack.

Forwarded email claims a customer buying gasoline at a Bloomington, Minnesota gas station was charged an extra $10 for paying at the pump with a bank card.

Emailed image allegedly taken from a 1954 issue of Popular Mechanics shows the RAND Corporation's conception of what a home computer would look like in 2004.

About.com Home Theater Guide Robert Silva explains why you'll never find that elusive 8mm/Hi8/miniDV adapter that supposedly allows you to play smaller-format video cassettes in your VHS machine.

When Jim Neugent sent an email to ABC-TV complaining about the depiction of homosexuality in an episode of "The Practice," he got more than he bargained for in response.

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.'

Email flier from the American Family Association urges recipients to boycott Allstate Insurance Company due to the alleged firing of an employee for expressing 'Christian beliefs' against homosexuality.

Does the "curiously strong" mint really enhance the pleasure of oral sex?  This urban legend says it does.

This false rumor has been thoroughly trounced by medical professionals.

From 1999: "IDChip.com" creates apocalyptic hysteria - a cautionary tale for aspiring Net satirists.

Toxic tampons? Two versions of this email alert are circulating, one more fraudulent than the other.

"Rabidly inaccurate" email flyer dating from 1995, alleging that NutraSweet causes just about every malady known to humankind.

Viral email purports to recount an actual exchange between a Bank of America customer service representative and an account holder who wishes to cancel because the bank grants credit to illegal immigrants.

2008 email flier lists several companies that have supposedly filed for bankruptcy, warning that gift cards from these businesses won't be valid for much longer.

Forwarded email claims potentially hazardous products made in China can be identified by examining the first three digits of the bar code on the packaging, which supposedly indicate the country of origin.

Circulating via email, a photo taken of a window of the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Coral Gables, Florida featuring a display of Barack Obama books into which a book named 'Monkeys' has been inserted.

Email flier warns that pet owners in different parts of the U.S. have reported the sudden deaths of dogs who ate Beneful Dog Food purchased at Wal-Mart in December 2006.

Forwarded email urges a consumer boycott of Best Buy on the grounds that its advertising recognizes a Muslim holiday but not Christmas.

A forwarded 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.

Forwarded email recounts a customer's unsatisfactory experience attempting to return merchandise and obtain a cash refund at a Best Buy store.

Forwarded email asserts a conspiratorial connection between the worldwide alarm over a possible avian flu pandemic and Donald Rumsfeld's financial interest in the company that patented the antiviral drug Tamiflu.

Invalid "Blockbuster Night" coupon circulating via forwarded email promises free movies, popcorn, and soda through 12/31/2007.

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.

Net rumormongers are at it again. This email tale claims that canola, usually touted as one of the healthiest of food oils, is actually toxic to human beings.

Still unsubstantiated, but 'tis better to be safe than sorry.

According to this email flier and attached video, law enforcement officials have discovered .22 caliber guns disguised as cell phones being smuggled into western Europe from Croatia.

Email flier purports to clue readers in on various 'unknown' tips and tricks for cell phone use.

Can you earn a free car by forwarding an email to all your friends?  No.  Nor a free computer, a six-pack of beer, an Outback Steakhouse gift certificate, etc.

Email flier compares the salaries of top executives of U.S. charitable organizations.

Email rumor claims a consumer was cheated by a rigged gas pump while refueling at a BP service station in Cartersville, Georgia

Does a new law called 'Check 21' go into effect on October 28, 2004 which will make floating checks a thing of the past?

Did Latin American car buyers shun the Chevy Nova because "no va" means "doesn't go" in Spanish?  About Guide Gerald Erichsen says nope, that's just an urban legend.

You deserve a beak today!

Email flier urges Americans to boycott Venezuela-owned Citgo gas stations in response to anti-U.S. statements made by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

Fraudulent email designed to steal personal information sends recipients to a real Citibank Web page but launches a phony pop-up demanding "login" info. Beware!

Email flier touts a Website where users can click to donate free feminine hygiene products to women's shelters around the U.S.

According to this email flier, cleaning the lint filter of your clothes dryer with a brush and soapy water on a regular basis will remove residue from fabric softener sheets and extend the appliance's lifespan.

Email example of the infamous "Nigerian Scam" letter used by con artists to bilk victims of millions of dollars every year.

Forwarded emails warn mobile phone users not to accept calls from certain numbers which supposedly transmit high-frequency signals causing brain hemorrhage and death

After stealing someone's shopping bag in a department store parking lot, the thief gets the surprise of her life when she opens the bag and finds a dead cat inside.

Forwarded email shows rude response sent by online retailer Discount-Mats.com in answer to a product inquiry from an American soldier stationed in Iraq.

Netlore Archive: Email flier warns that a directory of cell phone numbers will soon be published and urges users to enter their cell phone numbers on a federal 'do not call' list to prevent unsolicited calls from telemarketers

Circulating via email, a PDF file purporting to contain six coupons issued by Frito Lay for free bags of Doritos tortilla chips.

False email rumor claims hotel key cards are routinely encoded with customers' personal information, resulting in identity theft by employees.

Email hoax claims phone manufacturer Ericsson will give away free laptop computers to those who forward the message to at least eight people.

Forwarded email claims Pyrex dishes manufactured in the U.S. during the past 25 years may break or "explode" during use due to changes in its formulation.

2004 variant of a chain letter campaign to boycott gasoline from Exxon Mobil (circulating since 2000).

Online postings claim Facebook will begin charging $4.99 per month beginning in June 2010 and encourage members to visit a website to protest the plan.

Chain letter circulating among Facebook members claims the service is becoming too slow due to overpopulation and members must prove they are "active" by forwarding the message to others.

Email rumor alleges that the fabric deodorizer Febreze has been responsible for the deaths of many pets.

Is a crop of fruit spreading the deadly disease necrotizing fasciitis around the world?

True, with a catch: Email flier touts a new free 411 directory assistance service underwritten by advertisers.

This statement, allegedly from the manufacturer of French's Mustard, claims the product is not French and has nothing in common with the country of France ... aside from being yellow.

Email flier alleges that plastic plug-in air fresheners pose a serious fire hazard.

Is there really a type of coffee - called "Kopi Luwak" - made from beans eaten, partially digested and excreted by a breed of Indonesian civet cat?

Forwarded email warns of the danger of children licking or eating hand sanitizer, which contains a high percentage of alcohol and can cause accidental intoxication or alcohol poisoning

The "Kevin Archer" story, curiously similar to 1998's tall tale about snakes in a Burger King ball pit.

Email fliers urge boycott of Hershey Co., which has lately announced worker layoffs in U.S. plants while outsourcing jobs to new facilities in Mexico.

Update: The Hunger Site went down in July 2001 when its parent company went out of business, but as of the end of August 2001 it has returned under new ownership...

Ibuystrays.com purports to offer cash for unwanted pets to be resold to companies engaged in animal experimentation.

Is it true that wearing an iPod during a thunderstorm increases one's chances of being struck by lightning?

No, but this urban legend has certainly not hurt the popularity of the soft drink.

In which we are asked to believe that Japanese women are proudly wearing skirts imprinted on the outside with trompe l'oeil panties.

At last, the real reason it's not called "Kentucky Fried Chicken" anymore!

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.

Forwarded email claims spraying an outside area with Listerine mouthwash repels and/or kills every mosquito in the vicinity

Online rumor expresses outrage on behalf of veterans based on claims that Lowe's home improvement stores offer American flag doormats for sale.

Forwarded email recounts an incident at Cracker Barrel restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee in which a member of the Marine Corps League was denied permission to play patriotic songs on his bagpipes in honor of Memorial Day.

Chain letter claims recipients will receive a free gift voucher from Marks & Spencer and Persimmon Homes if they pass the message along to at least eight other people.

An email call to boycott McDonald's restaurants on the grounds that the company plans to import beef from South America.

An email call to boycott McDonald's restaurants in Canada on the grounds that the company plans to import beef from South America.

Is McDonald's the world's largest purchaser of cow eyeballs, or have we been fed another fast food urban legend?

Hold the mayo!!

Email rumor claims two boys in Brazil died after eating Mentos and drinking Coca-Cola at the same time.

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.

An elderly woman comes up with a novel way to dry off her soggy poodle in a hurry. Don't try this at home!

Email warns of a little-known hazard of using microwave ovens.

Emailed slide show claims that microchips used in Mondex 'smart cards' are being implanted in people's hands or foreheads and constitute the 'mark of the beast' prophesied in the Biblical Book of Revelation.

Would you pay $250 for a chocolate chip cookie recipe?

A phony Nike ad showing a bloody sneaker lying intact on the pavement after a terrorist attack bears the slogan, "You may not survive the blast, but your shoes will."

Forwarded email urges 'patriots' to boycott Oscar Mayer hot dogs because the company allegedly refused to ship its products to U.S. Marines stationed in Iraq

The sad, apocryphal story of Otto Titzling, unheralded inventor of the modern brassiere

Emailed images purport to show a "computer of the future," a full-featured PC comprising five slender objects the size and shape of ball-point pens.

TRUE: Sherwood Brands Pirate's Gold Milk Chocolate Coins imported from China may contain deadly melamine and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has warned the public not to eat, distribute or sell the candy.

Questions and answers about "dreadful contaminations."

Email flier purporting to originate from U.S. government budget analysts blames inflated prescription drug prices on price gouging by pharmacies.

Forwarded email advises service station customers to press the 'clear' button after using a debit or credit card at the gas pump so subsequent users won't be able to 'piggyback' charges on their accounts.

An update on devilish rumors that have haunted Procter & Gamble for two decades.

Email alert warns purchasers of propane tanks to avoid buying tanks with blue or green residue around the valve, an indication they may be contaminated with anhydrous ammonia.

Email hoax claims recipients will receive a free Sainsbury's gift voucher if they forward the message to 10 other people.

TRUE. Sears, Roebuck & Co. maintains full job benefits and partial pay for military reservists called to active duty for the Iraq war.

Germany-based sports shoe manufacturer PUMA AG says a pair of pictorial "ads" currently circulating on the Internet and featuring sneaker-clad adults engaged in an apparent sex act are "unauthorized," "appalling," and utterly fake.

This chain letter falsely claims that sodium laureth sulfate, an ingredient found in some brand-name shampoos, is carcinogenic.

Emailed photos of extremely uncomfortable-looking high-heel and platform shoes, allegedly the "latest fashions" from Japan and Italy.

Trying on a coat made in a foreign country can kill you!

Email warns of baby rattlesnakes hiding in restaurant playgrounds.

Is it true that specialty coffee chain Starbucks has closed all its stores in Israel, while still doing business in surrounding Arab countries?

Email flier accuses Starbucks of refusing to donate free coffee to U.S. Marines on the, er, grounds that the company is against the Iraq war "and anyone in it."

Forwarded email purports to list current and future retail store closings by major U.S. companies due to the economic downturn, and advises consumers to redeem gift cards and gift certificates sooner rather than later.

As befits a modern miracle invention, tales of Superglue pranks and mishaps loom large in contemporary folklore.

Forwarded email claims that the Swiffer WetJet disposable floor cleaner contains a substance toxic to dogs and cats.

From your About.com Guide: Cockroach egg tacos – another bogus entry in the annals of contaminated fast food horrors.

Email fliers criticize Target Corporation for not allowing Salvation Army bell ringers on their premises at Christmas time.

Circulating via email, a sheet of counterfeit printable coupons promising free entrees at T.G.I. Friday's to the bearer.

Email flier purports to clue readers in on various 'unknown' tips and tricks for cell phone use

Email rumor claims Tim Hortons Coffee contains nicotine and poses a danger to smokers or those who are allergic to nicotine.

Did the hippest fashion designer of the '80s really say those horrible things on Oprah Winfrey's show?

Where did the rumor come from that you could get a free Tootsie Roll Pop if you found a star (or an Indian) on your wrapper?

Decades-old rumors of 'Satan worship' by the owners of Procter & Gamble still circulate online

Forwarded emails say a Tyson Foods poultry processing plant in Tennessee has dropped the traditional Labor Day holiday in favor of a paid day off on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

Spam email masquerades as a message from U.S. Bank requesting personal information from its customers. Don't bite!

Forwarded email claims that coughing in children can be stopped "100% of the time" by applying Vicks Vaporub to the bottoms of their feet and covering them with socks at bedtime.

Email rumors claim cashiers at Wal-Mart and other retail stores routinely steal money from customers by surreptitiously triggering the "cash back" option during credit or debit card transactions.

Emailed alert written on Louisiana Dept. of Public Safety stationary warns of a 'multi-city' check copying scam run by a ring of Wal-Mart employees

Emailed images show skin rash caused by Chinese-made rubber flip flops purchased at Wal-Mart.

Forwarded email recommends using wasp spray instead of pepper spray for self defense because, allegedly, it's more effective and works at a greater distance.

Recycled 1998 warning alleges that children have gone blind due to exposure to waterproof sunscreens.

Email flier announces the building of the "World's Largest Pink Ribbon" on a billboard in Times Square by the 3M Corporation.

VALID: Email fliers tout the Xerox Corporation's "Let's Say Thanks" Web site allowing citizens to send free cards to U.S. troops overseas.

Anonymous email alert blames zinc-based nasal cold remedy Zicam for cases of anosmia (loss of the sense of smell).

Is Coca-Cola an effective spermicide? Did it get its name from the fact that cocaine was one of its original ingredients? Things go better with the truth!

Who but Cecil Adams could definitively answer this perennial puzzler?  See the second item on the page.

The question is, how did it make its way out of the Coke bottle and into the deep fat fryer?

"A kid ate 6 bags of pop rocks at a party. He then proceeded to drink a 6-pack of Pepsi. The two substances combined in his stomach and exploded, killing him horribly..."

More than 20 years and $100,000 worth of PR later, the Bubble Yum legend is still with us.

The irony is that wormburgers would cost a lot more than plain old beef!

Forwarded email claims CFL light bulbs made in China pose a greater fire hazard when used in the home than regular incandescent light bulbs.