Urban legends, hoaxes and rumors on and about the Internet and the World Wide Web.
A viral prayer request circulating on Facebook and Twitter asks for prayers on behalf of a 12-year-old boy named Avi Ben Stella, who is allegedly in a coma after a serious car crash.
Email chain letter solicits Christmas cards for Jacob Hadcock, allegedly a 4-year-old with terminal cancer in Mexico, New York.
Email chain letter and Internet postings solicit Christmas cards for Nathan Elfrink, a 7-year-old Ohio boy diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
'Hacker warning' circulating via forwarded email tells recipients not to accept messages or friend invitations from a supposed email hacker named Christopher Butterfield.
From About: Current Internet hoaxes, rumors and email urban legends - information on all the latest misinformation on the Net
Hints and tips for detecting false information in forwarded emails.
Our annual look back at the top-circulating Net hoaxes, rumors, and urban legends of the year
It's time to look back on 2005, an eventful 12 months by any measure, and revisit the Top 10 Net Hoaxes and Urban Legends of the year.
Top 10 Net hoaxes and urban legends of 2004
AUTHENTIC: Chain email solicits prayers for 8-year-old Sam Bish (Samuel Gordon Bish) of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, who has been diagnosed with an aggressive type of cancer known as Osteosarcoma.
'Hacker warning' circulating via forwarded email tells recipients not to accept messages or friend invitations from a supposed email hacker named Simon Ashton.
Forwarded email alleges that the urban legend debunking site Snopes.com is "owned by a flaming liberal" who is "in the tank for Obama" and cannot be trusted to provide reliable information.
How to submit a suspected urban legend, email rumor or Net hoax for investigation
Urban Legends FAQ: What is a chain letter?
Chain letters have existed for over a century, but the convenience of forwarded email has breathed new life into an activity that is still best described as a nuisance.
Old stories that used to circulate by word of mouth only are now being enthusiastically transcribed into email form. It's a different kind of storytelling, as these example show.
