Once in a while, I can't help but pass on some of the fun, interesting or just plain odd tidbits that come my way. For about four weeks, anyone with a computer, access to the Internet and a credit card has been able to do just that, courtesy of an online video and chat system called Stella Cam.
Some hoaxes warn of nonexistent computer viruses.
Some incorrectly promise that a large company, such as Microsoft, will pay everyone who forwards a particular message. I recently ran across a claim that such hoaxes aren't just the work of pranksters. Some may be the latest efforts by online marketers to gather authentic e-mail addresses that can then be sold to advertisers. Experts at a few Web sites think it's possible, given how quickly some of these hoax e-mails can get forwarded to thousands of people. But nobody provided proof.