Viruses we can deal with, by keeping antivirus software updated. But add to those the hoaxes and the junk e-mails, and online users spend way too much time winnowing out the chaff. Sometimes, we are even part of the problem. All too often, though, we Internet users pass on information without checking it, adding to the spam rolling into e-mail boxes.
Newspapers thrive on news stories.
One reason we might believe the U.S. Postal Service hoax has to do with the organization's major interest in building a commanding Internet presence. Press releases are posted, too. I believe that the information garnered from this Web site is only as good as the info that is fed in. Most of the spammers today are sophisticated enough to cover their tracks. They are able to manipulate the 'From' field to show any e-mail address, perhaps even the real address for some innocent, unsuspecting soul.