Following on from last week's article about email viruses, this week we'd like to talk about email hoaxes. Many hoax emails set out to cause disruption by convincing people to forward the email to as many of their friends and associates as possible, therefore propagating the problem. It doesn't take long before millions of copies of the same email are bouncing their way around the world's mail servers, causing delays and disruptions. Most have no long term consequences although the misinformation they spread and the network traffic they cause make their impact very similar to viruses.
The content of a hoax email generally purports to provide urgent information that everyone should be aware of. It could be a report about a new virus that urges you to forward it to all your friends immediately, or it may offer the promise of riches or good luck. Many times these hoax emails will quote reputable companies such as Microsoft or IBM as being the source of the information to give you the impression that the content of the message can be trusted.
Other hoaxes can actually set out to defraud. One in particular suggests the sender is involved in the treasury department of an African country. They ask you for your bank details so they can transfer money out of their country and promise to give you a handsome commission for using your bank account. Their true intent is to get your banking details, not to give you money.
As with viruses there are a number of steps you can take to avoid the trap of forwarding hoax emails:
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Check with the person that sent the email to you that they personally verified the contents as being true. Never assume that just because you know the person what they sent you must be true.
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Use your internet browser and your favourite search engine (www.google.com is a good one) to see if the email has been identified as a hoax. In your search include the word "hoax" and relevant key words from the email.
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Many sites have been setup on the internet to list hoaxes, especially hoax viruses. One such site is Symantec's Hoax page that can be accessed through the following link:http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
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Once you start to look more closely it becomes easier to spot suspect emails. By spending a little time verifying the accuracy of the email you will help stop the spread of misleading and sometimes dangerous information.
How do I get Pay2K to open the same database each time it starts?
Pay2K will normally open the database that you accessed last by default. To change this so Pay2K will always starts with a particular database do the following:
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Go to FILE>COMPANIES. This screen will show you a list of all the databases you have created and display the current At Startup option.
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Choose the ALWAYS OPEN THE SAME DATABASE option
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From the combo list box select the database that Pay2K should use as it's default
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"If you treat an individual as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be"
Goethe
Regards,
Heather McKay
Human Edge Software
Phone: +61 3 9690 5004
Fax: +61 3 9690 2802
Email: pay2k@human-edge.com.au
Human Edge Software adheres to a policy of not sending unsolicited (SPAM) e-mail. You are receiving this e-mail because you are listed as the primary contact for one of the services that our company provides. If you are receiving this message in error or wish to have the contact details changed please advise us via return e-mail or call us on (03) 9690 5044
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