(no subject)

[scottobear]

http://www.snopes2.com/rumors/mallrisk.htm

ok?

I appreciate all the folks that care, but the "Girl receives letter from her disappeared Afghan boyfriend saying terrorists are going to strike at U.S. malls on Halloween." is a hoax.

Comments

thank goodness you posted that link.

[argumentplease.livejournal.com]

I just forwarded the story to my mother, who believes every stupid rumor she reads on the internet. I didn't have hard evidence to show her that this rumor wasn't true -- and just today she was telling me that someone knows someone who works at the Pentagon and said that it WAS true.

"Why would it be coming from the Pentagon? Wouldn't it be coming from the FBI?" I asked. She didn't have an answer for that, but then again, she didn't need one. She just chose to believe it. I, on the other hand, seldom believe anything I read in internet forwards. If it's not coming from a reliable, identifiable source, then chances are it's not true.

Why don't we know the name of this Afghani boyfriend, if he's a suspected terrorist? Doesn't the FBI have a list of names of people they want to interview? Wouldn't they have matched a name to a face by now, especially if the girlfriend is cooperating?

It just doesn't make sense.

But I'm glad I have a website to show my mother. Maybe now she'll stop panicking over that, and at least find something more credible to panic about.

Re: thank goodness you posted that link.

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that I could help shine the light of reason on your hoaxed mom. I swear, I get more of these things in the mail every day, and snopes helps me squelch the rumors 9 times out of 10.

SNOPES RULES

[spicycurvydiva.livejournal.com]

I luv snopes! I've learned so many things there, such as did you know that even if you are an only son you can still be drafted? Something I thought was "common knowledge" turned out to be total bullshit.

Re: SNOPES RULES

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

yup! lots of bs busting going on there. :)

thanks

[laverick.livejournal.com]

thanks for posting that. my mom received that email "about a friend" from someone she knows at work so she thought it was real.

Re: thanks

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

my pleasure!

so many moms are fooled by this stuff!