Have you ever received an email from a friend or colleague talking about some sort of new virus,  urging you to post something to a social media site, talking about a long lost relatives who has left you millions in a will or you have trouble believing that a certain company will give you $100 if you do something? How do you go and check the veracity of the comment or check that it isn’t an old wives tale or urban legend?

A quick Google search of the title, subject line or first sentence is a good start. The search results will either confirm that the story is true or point you to a site such as Snopes (www.snopes.com) or Hoax Slayer (www.hoax-slayer.com).

Remember the old saying that if it is too good to be true then it probably is so before you go and post the message to all your friends, double check that it is correct by doing a simple Google search. Otherwise you could end up spreading a hoax or scam.