Almost every day I get queries about whether a particular report or rumor circulating on the Internet is true or not. Not sure whether that e-mail you got contains the truth, a shred of truth, or is a complete fabrication? Here are some of the best resources for verifying or discounting possible Internet hoaxes.
Snopes2
The best of the bunch.
Hoax info from Internet 101
Advisories and warnings about hoaxes, myths, chain letters, bogus virus alerts and more.
Vmyths
Learn about computer virus myths, hoaxes, urban legends, hysteria, and the implications if you believe in them.
Sophos
Sophos provides information about virus hoaxes, chain letters, scams and misunderstandings to aid companies and individuals.
About.com Urban Legends
About.com debunks the most common urban legends.
Hoax info from Nonprofit.net
Fairly extensive database of Net hoaxes.
UrbanLegends.com
One of the oldest hoax-busting sites around, but you’ve got to wonder about their credibility when they claim they’re read by 50 billion people a week. Also at UrbanLegend Zeitgeist.
Break the chain
The name says it all.
Hoaxinfo.com
A site designed to debunk email hoaxes.
Chainletters.org
This site wisely advises you to beware the plague of chain letters,
EFF’s Folklore page
Background on the subject from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Urban legends & modern myths
A collection of the entertaining modern folktales.
Stiller Research Virus Hoax News
Periodically updated pointers to the latest virus hoaxes.
HoaxKill
A site that identifies hoaxes and provides instructions to combat them, with an archive of chain letters, urban legends and hoaxes.
Chain letters
A chain letters verification site that seems to have gone into hibernation.
Fraud info from Google
More about fraud and scams than hoaxes.
Scambusters
All about Internet fraud.
