Snopes.com...Urban Legends

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Not sure where the original thread for this went. Informative, interesting website...

[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Arial]snopes.com[/FONT] [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
snopes.com: Update #403
Hello again from snopes, where we shed light on the wild tales you've heard! This e-mail gives information about new articles recently added to the snopes.com web site and provides pointers to older pieces about rumors and hoaxes still wandering into everyone's inboxes. Our last update mailing was 14 February 2009.

If after this update you are left wondering about something newly arrived in your inbox, our search engine stands ready to assist you. Bookmark that URL — it's a keeper!

An RSS feed for our What's New page is available at the following URL:
http://www.snopes.com/info/whatsnew.xml

And now to the legends, the mayhem, and the misinformation!

New Articles
  • Are bacteria formed on cut onions and potatoes responsible for more food poisoning than is spoiled mayonnaise?
  • The rats among us: Do major cities harbor rodent populations equivalent to one rat per person?
  • Did President Obama issue an order 'allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to resettle in the United States'?
  • Photographs show a USAF airman marshaling a jet in a non-standard, revealing outfit?
  • Did the U.S. Congress support a bailout of financial giant AIG because that company insures the Congressional pension trust?
  • Presidents' Day is a holiday. But whom are we honoring?
  • Don't forget to visit our Daily Snopes page for a collection of odd news stories from around the world!
Worth a Second Look
  • About the belief that burying a statuette of St. Joseph will help speed the sale of a house.
Still Haunting the Inbox
  • Computer virus warnings: Obama Acceptance Speech Video, Mail Server Report, Life is Beautiful, and Postcard (or Greeting Card).
  • E-warning cautions that cell phone numbers are being sold to telemarketers.
  • Long-standing hoax about companies giving away glorious goodies to those who forward an e-mail to a specified number of recipients takes many forms: Bill Gates and AOL distributing cash, Ericsson giving free laptops to tots, and Applebees forking over $50 vouchers.
  • No, Swiffer WetJet does not pose a danger to pets.
  • Warnings about scammers' running up long-distance charges by asking victims to press #-9-0 on their telephones or luring phone users into returning calls to numbers within the 809 area code.
  • E-mail describes woman who evades a rapist posing as a policeman by calling #77 (or *677) on her cell phone.
  • Old "ancestor was a horse thief" joke aimed at new politcal targets (Harry Reid, Ted, Stevens, Stephane Dion).
  • Appeals to find missing children: Ashley Flores, Reachelle Marie Smith, and Evan Trembley.
  • Jury duty scam: Caller tricks victim into revealing personal and financial information by telling him he's missed jury duty and the police will be coming for him.
  • Four Paws withdrew a "pimple ball" dog toy from the market following reports of injuries to dogs.
  • Items about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
  • Article explains the difference between http and https web protocols.
  • Drug products containing PPA (phenylpropanolamine) were pulled from the market due to FDA concerns over a possible connection to strokes.
  • No, entering one's PIN in reverse at any ATM will not summon the police.
  • Resident who writes to complain about noise made by fly-by of jets from local air force base receives blistering response.
  • No, criminals are not incapacitating potential victims with business cards soaked in burundanga.
  • July 2005 warning made by terrorist expert Juval Aviv about imminent terrorist threats against the U.S. circulates anew.
  • Rumor claims Jane Fonda betrayed U.S. POWs during the Viet Nam War.
  • Internet-circulated piece lists potential consequences that will result from the passage of the Freedom of Choice Act.
  • Why Joshua Bell, a world-class violinist, played incognito in a Washington subway.
  • Are thieves armed with "code grabbers" breaking into your automobiles?
  • No, gangs of carjackers have not been luring victims from their vehicles by placing flyers on cars.
  • Appeal to sign a petition protesting the release of the killers of 2-year-old James Bulger are futile, in that the two murderers served their sentences and were set free in June 2001.
  • Longstanding hoax: Amy Bruce, a terminally ill young girl, writes "Slow Dance" poem.
Fraud Afoot
  • Seems like everyone has become the recipient of mysterious e-mails promising untold wealth if only one helps a wealthy foreigner quietly move millions of dollars out of his country. The venerable 419 Scam has discovered the goldmine that is the Internet. Beware: There's still no such thing as "something for nothing," and the contents of your bank account will end up with these wily foreigners if you fall in with this.
  • Likewise, look out for mailings announcing you've won a foreign lottery you don't recall entering or claiming that because you share the surname of a wealthy person who died without leaving a will you're in line for a windfall inheritance.
  • And be especially wary if, while trying to sell or rent anything online (car, boat, horse, motorcycle, painting, apartment, you name it) you're approached by a prospective buyer/renter who wants to pay with a cashier check made out for an amount in excess of the agreed-upon price and who asks the balance be sent to a third party.
  • Aspiring work-at-homers promised big bucks for acting as intermediaries for international transactions wherein they cash checks for other parties or reship goods to them have been defrauded by con artists. Don't you be next.
  • If someone calls to announce you've failed to appear for jury duty and will be arrested, do not give the caller your personal and financial information in an effort to prove he's sending the gendarmes after the wrong guy. You're being tricked into giving up this information to an identity thief.
Admin Stuff
  • View the latest edition of the snopes.com newsletter online.
  • Please note that the e-mail address update@snopes.com is an administrative address used only for mailing weekly updates to subscribers. All mail sent to this address is automatically deleted.
  • If you wish to change your subscription information or unsubscribe, please use the links provided at the bottom of every newsletter mailing.
  • If you wish to find information on a particular topic, please use the search engine.
  • Our What's New page and our 25 Hottest Urban Legends page are also handy places to check whenever you receive something questionable in your inbox.
  • Other inquiries and comments may be submitted through the "Contact Us" form at snopes.com.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial]Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2009 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson.[/FONT]​
:angel:Knowledge Is Growth...Education Is The Key~~~
 
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Arial] snopes.com[/FONT] [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial] [/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial] snopes.com: Update #410 [/FONT]​
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
Hello again from snopes, where we shed light on the wild tales you've heard! This e-mail gives information about new articles recently added to the snopes.com web site and provides pointers to older pieces about rumors and hoaxes still wandering into everyone's inboxes.

Our last update mailing was 4 April 2009.

If you've ever wondered about how this site began or the people behind it, the April issue of Reader's Digest features an article about snopes.com and us, its founders, David and Barbara Mikkelson. You can even read it online!

If after this update you are left wondering about something newly arrived in your inbox, our search engine stands ready to assist you. Bookmark that URL — it's a keeper!
[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
An RSS feed for our What's New page is available at the following URL:
http://www.snopes.com/info/whatsnew.xml

And now to the legends, the mayhem, and the misinformation!
[/FONT] [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
New Articles
[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Letter suggests fixing the U.S. economy by giving workers over age 50 $1 million each.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Statement purportedly reproduces President Obama's response regarding opposition to his veterans' health insurance plan.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Are Target stores with optical departments offering free eyeglasses to children 12 and under?
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] An article cautioning that "Something of historic proportions is happening" is misattributed to various historians.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Has the U.S. has been producing 'Amero' notes, currency to be used by an economic union of the USA, Canada, and Mexico?
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Scam alert: 'Oprah Millionaire Contest Show' e-mails solicit personal information for non-existent contest.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Does asparagus have miraculous cancer-fighting properties?
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Some rumors about our own site were debunked at FactCheck.org.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Don't forget to visit our Daily Snopes page for a collection of odd news stories from around the world!
    [/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Worth a Second Look [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Want to see a really big bunny?
    [/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Still Haunting the Inbox [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Computer virus warnings: Postcard (or Greeting Card), Life is Beautiful, and Mail Server Report.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Various rumors about the U.S. Social Security system.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, entering one's PIN in reverse at any ATM will not summon the police.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Warnings about scammers' running up long-distance charges by asking victims to press #-9-0 on their telephones or luring phone users into returning calls to numbers within the 809 area code.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Are thieves armed with "code grabbers" breaking into your automobiles?
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, the new dollar coin doesn't omit "In God We Trust" — that phrase has been stamped into its edge.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] E-warning cautions that cell phone numbers are being sold to telemarketers.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, Swiffer WetJet does not pose a danger to pets.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] E-mail describes woman who evades a rapist posing as a policeman by calling #77 (or *677) on her cell phone.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Teardrop monument: Photographs show a New Jersey monument to the victims of 9/11 which was donated by Russia.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Petition protests an upcoming film said to portray Jesus as gay.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, criminals are not incapacitating potential victims with business cards soaked in burundanga.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, a serial killer/rapist is not luring women with $5 bills they've "dropped."
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Ingestion of hand sanitizer by children can result in alcohol poisoning.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Warning that water boiled in a microwave oven can suddenly "explode."
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] As part of the 2009 pre-inaugural festivities, Tiger Woods gave a speech in thanks of the military.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Protest against federal spending encourages Americans to mail teabags to the White House.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Untapped oil reserves in the Bakken Formation?
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Items about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Hoax asserts cell phones can pop popcorn or cook eggs.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Drug products containing PPA (phenylpropanolamine) were pulled from the market due to FDA concerns over a possible connection to strokes.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] The warship USS New York is being built using steel from the World Trade Center.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Kathy Griffin's controversial 2007 Emmy Awards speech denigrating Jesus.
    [*] Medical ailments caused by the sweetener Aspartame?
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Long-standing hoax about companies giving away glorious goodies to those who forward an e-mail to a specified number of recipients takes many forms: Bill Gates and AOL distributing cash, Ericsson giving free laptops to tots, and Applebees forking over $50 vouchers.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Appeals to find missing children: Ashley Flores, Reachelle Marie Smith, and Evan Trembley.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, gangs of carjackers have not been luring victims from their vehicles by placing flyers on cars.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Longstanding hoax: Amy Bruce, a terminally ill young girl, writes "Slow Dance" poem.
    [/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Fraud Afoot [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Seems like everyone has become the recipient of mysterious e-mails promising untold wealth if only one helps a wealthy foreigner quietly move millions of dollars out of his country. The venerable 419 Scam has discovered the goldmine that is the Internet. Beware: There's still no such thing as "something for nothing," and the contents of your bank account will end up with these wily foreigners if you fall in with this.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Likewise, look out for mailings announcing you've won a foreign lottery you don't recall entering or claiming that because you share the surname of a wealthy person who died without leaving a will you're in line for a windfall inheritance.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] And be especially wary if, while trying to sell or rent anything online (car, boat, horse, motorcycle, painting, apartment, you name it) you're approached by a prospective buyer/renter who wants to pay with a cashier check made out for an amount in excess of the agreed-upon price and who asks the balance be sent to a third party.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Aspiring work-at-homers promised big bucks for acting as intermediaries for international transactions wherein they cash checks for other parties or reship goods to them have been defrauded by con artists. Don't you be next.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] If someone calls to announce you've failed to appear for jury duty and will be arrested, do not give the caller your personal and financial information in an effort to prove he's sending the gendarmes after the wrong guy. You're being tricked into giving up this information to an identity thief.
    [/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Admin Stuff [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] View the latest edition of the snopes.com newsletter online.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Please note that the e-mail address update@snopes.com is an administrative address used only for mailing weekly updates to subscribers. All mail sent to this address is automatically deleted.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] If you wish to change your subscription information or unsubscribe, please use the links provided at the bottom of every newsletter mailing.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] If you wish to find information on a particular topic, please use the search engine.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Our What's New page and our 25 Hottest Urban Legends page are also handy places to check whenever you receive something questionable in your inbox.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Other inquiries and comments may be submitted through the "Contact Us" form at snopes.com.
    [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial] Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2009 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson.
This material may not be reproduced without permission.
snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of snopes.com.
[/FONT]​
 
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial] snopes.com: Update #411 [/FONT]​
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
Hello again from snopes, where we shed light on the wild tales you've heard! This e-mail gives information about new articles recently added to the snopes.com web site and provides pointers to older pieces about rumors and hoaxes still wandering into everyone's inboxes.

Our last update mailing was 11 April 2009.

If you've ever wondered about how this site began or the people behind it, the April issue of Reader's Digest features an article about snopes.com and us, its founders, David and Barbara Mikkelson. You can even read it online!

If after this update you are left wondering about something newly arrived in your inbox, our search engine stands ready to assist you. Bookmark that URL — it's a keeper!
[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
An RSS feed for our What's New page is available at the following URL:
http://www.snopes.com/info/whatsnew.xml

And now to the legends, the mayhem, and the misinformation!
[/FONT] [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
New Articles
[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Old political joke presents an exchange between a White House Marine guard and a VFW member.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Article warns that fruit must be eaten on an empty stomach in order for the body to absorb it properly.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] E-rumor claims a solar eclipse will touch off an earthquake and a devastating tsunami on 22 July 2009.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Obituary laments the demise of common sense.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Expense account reveals affair between executive and his stenographer.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] A roadway in South Dakota will be temporarily closed to allow for the transport of a large piece of coal to Mount Rushmore?
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Don't forget to visit our Daily Snopes page for a collection of odd news stories from around the world!
    [/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Worth a Second Look [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] College student who restricts himself to a diet of only one foodstuff contracts scurvy.
    [/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Still Haunting the Inbox [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Computer virus warnings: Postcard (or Greeting Card), Life is Beautiful, and Mail Server Report.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Some rumors about snopes.com were debunked at FactCheck.org.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Various rumors about the U.S. Social Security system.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, entering one's PIN in reverse at any ATM will not summon the police.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Warnings about scammers' running up long-distance charges by asking victims to press #-9-0 on their telephones or luring phone users into returning calls to numbers within the 809 area code.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Are thieves armed with "code grabbers" breaking into your automobiles?
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, the new dollar coin doesn't omit "In God We Trust" — that phrase has been stamped into its edge.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] E-warning cautions that cell phone numbers are being sold to telemarketers.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, Swiffer WetJet does not pose a danger to pets.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] E-mail describes woman who evades a rapist posing as a policeman by calling #77 (or *677) on her cell phone.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Teardrop monument: Photographs show a New Jersey monument to the victims of 9/11 which was donated by Russia.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Petition protests an upcoming film said to portray Jesus as gay.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, criminals are not incapacitating potential victims with business cards soaked in burundanga.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, a serial killer/rapist is not luring women with $5 bills they've "dropped."
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Ingestion of hand sanitizer by children can result in alcohol poisoning.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Warning that water boiled in a microwave oven can suddenly "explode."
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] As part of the 2009 pre-inaugural festivities, Tiger Woods gave a speech in thanks of the military.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Protest against federal spending encourages Americans to mail teabags to the White House.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Untapped oil reserves in the Bakken Formation?
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Items about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Hoax asserts cell phones can pop popcorn or cook eggs.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Drug products containing PPA (phenylpropanolamine) were pulled from the market due to FDA concerns over a possible connection to strokes.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] The warship USS New York is being built using steel from the World Trade Center.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Kathy Griffin's controversial 2007 Emmy Awards speech denigrating Jesus.
    [*] Medical ailments caused by the sweetener Aspartame?
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Long-standing hoax about companies giving away glorious goodies to those who forward an e-mail to a specified number of recipients takes many forms: Bill Gates and AOL distributing cash, Ericsson giving free laptops to tots, and Applebees forking over $50 vouchers.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Appeals to find missing children: Ashley Flores, Reachelle Marie Smith, and Evan Trembley.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] No, gangs of carjackers have not been luring victims from their vehicles by placing flyers on cars.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Longstanding hoax: Amy Bruce, a terminally ill young girl, writes "Slow Dance" poem.
    [/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Fraud Afoot [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Seems like everyone has become the recipient of mysterious e-mails promising untold wealth if only one helps a wealthy foreigner quietly move millions of dollars out of his country. The venerable 419 Scam has discovered the goldmine that is the Internet. Beware: There's still no such thing as "something for nothing," and the contents of your bank account will end up with these wily foreigners if you fall in with this.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Likewise, look out for mailings announcing you've won a foreign lottery you don't recall entering or claiming that because you share the surname of a wealthy person who died without leaving a will you're in line for a windfall inheritance.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] And be especially wary if, while trying to sell or rent anything online (car, boat, horse, motorcycle, painting, apartment, you name it) you're approached by a prospective buyer/renter who wants to pay with a cashier check made out for an amount in excess of the agreed-upon price and who asks the balance be sent to a third party.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Aspiring work-at-homers promised big bucks for acting as intermediaries for international transactions wherein they cash checks for other parties or reship goods to them have been defrauded by con artists. Don't you be next.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] If someone calls to announce you've failed to appear for jury duty and will be arrested, do not give the caller your personal and financial information in an effort to prove he's sending the gendarmes after the wrong guy. You're being tricked into giving up this information to an identity thief.
    [/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Admin Stuff [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] View the latest edition of the snopes.com newsletter online.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Please note that the e-mail address update@snopes.com is an administrative address used only for mailing weekly updates to subscribers. All mail sent to this address is automatically deleted.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] If you wish to change your subscription information or unsubscribe, please use the links provided at the bottom of every newsletter mailing.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] If you wish to find information on a particular topic, please use the search engine.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Our What's New page and our 25 Hottest Urban Legends page are also handy places to check whenever you receive something questionable in your inbox.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Other inquiries and comments may be submitted through the "Contact Us" form at snopes.com.
    [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Arial] Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2009 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson.
This material may not be reproduced without permission.
snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of snopes.com.
[/FONT]​

 
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial] snopes.com: Update #415 [/FONT]​
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
Hello again from snopes, where we shed light on the wild tales you've heard! This e-mail gives information about new articles recently added to the snopes.com web site and provides pointers to older pieces about rumors and hoaxes still wandering into everyone's inboxes.

Our last update mailing was 9 May 2009.

If you've ever wondered about how this site began or the people behind it, the April issue of Reader's Digest features an article about snopes.com and us, its founders, David and Barbara Mikkelson. You can even read it online!

If after this update you are left wondering about something newly arrived in your inbox, our search engine stands ready to assist you. Bookmark that URL — it's a keeper!
[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
An RSS feed for our What's New page is available at the following URL:
http://www.snopes.com/info/whatsnew.xml

And now to the legends, the mayhem, and the misinformation!
[/FONT] [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
New Articles
[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Uncertain times prompt return of legend about mysterious hitchhiker who utters a prophecy about Judgment Day being upon us, then disappears.
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    [*] Are criminal gangs in Arlington staging medical emergencies to lure drivers out of their cars and rob them?
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    [*] Was the stethoscope invented thanks to a doctor's modesty?
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    [*] Old bit of political humor aimed at new target: Solicitation for contributions for a statue of President George W. Bush.
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    [*] Purple dinosaur whispers: Barney caught with stash of cocaine hidden in his tail or he cussed out a child.
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    [*] Of using gasoline to treat lice infestations and why this is a very, very bad idea.
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    [*] Don't forget to visit our Daily Snopes page for a collection of odd news stories from around the world!
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[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Worth a Second Look [/FONT]
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    [*] Does a woman over the age of 40 have a better chance of being killed by a terrorist than of getting married?
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[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Still Haunting the Inbox [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Darrell Scott testimony.
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    [*] Some rumors about snopes.com were debunked at FactCheck.org.
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    [*] Warning about reuse of plastic bottles.
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    [*] No, the new dollar coin doesn't omit "In God We Trust" — that phrase has been stamped into its edge.
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    [*] Hacker warning: Christopher Butterfield.
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    [*] Miraculous cancer-fighting properties in asparagus?
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    [*] Petition protests an upcoming film said to portray Jesus as gay.
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    [*] Juval Aviv's predictions for terrorist attacks on the U.S.
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    [*] Message details requirements of the GIVE (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education) Act.
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    [*] Are thieves armed with "code grabbers" breaking into your automobiles?
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    [*] Warnings about scammers' running up long-distance charges by asking victims to press #-9-0 on their telephones or luring phone users into returning calls to numbers within the 809 area code.
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    [*] Mexico's flag flown upside-down over U.S. high school.
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    [*] Bill Cosby's platform as a write-in candidate for the 2008 Presidential election.
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    [*] E-mail describes woman who evades a rapist posing as a policeman by calling #77 (or *677) on her cell phone.
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    [*] E-mails urge Americans to buy/not buy gasoline from Citgo or Petro Express stations.
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    [*] Blair Holt bill before Congress to prohibit ownership of handguns by those lacking firearms licenses.
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    [*] No, criminals are not incapacitating potential victims with business cards soaked in burundanga.
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    [*] Items about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
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    [*] No, atheists are not petitioning the FCC to get religious programming and all pastors banned from the airwaves.
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    [*] Purported Johns Hopkins e-mail about cancer prevention.
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    [*] Rat urine on soda cans causes death?
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    [*] Baby carrots warning.
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    [*] Appeals to find missing children: Ashley Flores, Reachelle Marie Smith, and Evan Trembley.
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    [*] Photos of Airbus 340 wreck during engine testing after technicians overrode a safety feature.
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    [*] E-warning cautions that cell phone numbers are being sold to telemarketers.
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    [*] E-mail address book fake entry to prevent your computer from spreading viruses.
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    [*] Longstanding hoax: Amy Bruce, a terminally ill young girl, writes "Slow Dance" poem.
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    [*] Petition to keep immigrants from gaining social security benefits.
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    [*] No, entering one's PIN in reverse at any ATM will not summon the police.
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    [*] No, Swiffer WetJet does not pose a danger to pets.
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    [*] Teardrop monument: Photographs show a New Jersey monument to the victims of 9/11 which was donated by Russia.
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    [*] No, a serial killer/rapist is not luring women with $5 bills they've "dropped."
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    [*] No, gangs of carjackers have not been luring victims from their vehicles by placing flyers on cars.
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[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Fraud Afoot [/FONT]
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    [*] Seems like everyone has become the recipient of mysterious e-mails promising untold wealth if only one helps a wealthy foreigner quietly move millions of dollars out of his country. The venerable 419 Scam has discovered the goldmine that is the Internet. Beware: There's still no such thing as "something for nothing," and the contents of your bank account will end up with these wily foreigners if you fall in with this.
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    [*] Likewise, look out for mailings announcing you've won a foreign lottery you don't recall entering or claiming that because you share the surname of a wealthy person who died without leaving a will you're in line for a windfall inheritance.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] And be especially wary if, while trying to sell or rent anything online (car, boat, horse, motorcycle, painting, apartment, you name it) you're approached by a prospective buyer/renter who wants to pay with a cashier check made out for an amount in excess of the agreed-upon price and who asks the balance be sent to a third party.
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    [*] Aspiring work-at-homers promised big bucks for acting as intermediaries for international transactions wherein they cash checks for other parties or reship goods to them have been defrauded by con artists. Don't you be next.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] If someone calls to announce you've failed to appear for jury duty and will be arrested, do not give the caller your personal and financial information in an effort to prove he's sending the gendarmes after the wrong guy. You're being tricked into giving up this information to an identity thief.
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[FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]Admin Stuff [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] View the latest edition of the snopes.com newsletter online.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Please note that the e-mail address update@snopes.com is an administrative address used only for mailing weekly updates to subscribers. All mail sent to this address is automatically deleted.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] If you wish to change your subscription information or unsubscribe, please use the links provided at the bottom of every newsletter mailing.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] If you wish to find information on a particular topic, please use the search engine.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Our What's New page and our 25 Hottest Urban Legends page are also handy places to check whenever you receive something questionable in your inbox.
    [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS,Bookman Old Style,Arial]
    [*] Other inquiries and comments may be submitted through the "Contact Us" form at snopes.com.
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[FONT=Verdana,Arial] :angel:Knowledge Is Growth
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