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This is not a chain email or a hoax and PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK, at least not without reading it to the end.

Apologies in advance if you find this email patronising (not intended) or you already know how to spot a hoax and deal with it. I have used bold text sparingly to point out important bits but I am avoiding large writing colourful text and daft fonts because those are exactly the kind of clues you'll find that an email is worth deleting.

The email entitled "Protecting your address book" is a hoax / wind-up and in forwarding it, or any email like it, to your friends will only serve to make the problem worse. I'll not go into why here but here's a Google search for those that are interested: protecting your address book - Google Search

I was sent the "Protecting your address book" email this morning from my Mum who has learned the art of email vigilance and forwarded it just to me for a bit of a sanity check, she was right to do so. I'm not naming and shaming any of the culprits in the chain but I hope that the advice I give will benefit at least some of you.

My name is Jeremy and I am real. I have been professionally involved with the internet and email since 1994. If you reply to me personally with questions or comments I will try to answer them. I have taken an hour out of my day for the benefit of my sanity and your protection.

If you do choose to send this email on to others I would appreciate it if you removed my details so I am not flooded with spam emails. If you look down through a hoax email you will normally see dozens, if not hundreds, of email addresses all shared with everyone who receives the email - that's how I have your address and you are one of the 180 exposed in one email.

General pointers on email etiquette:

• Use the Bcc field to protect the privacy of your contacts. Read more at: To BCC or Not BCC: Email Etiquette
• If you forward on an email, always remove the history of who has seen it.
• Imagine if someone rang you You wouldn't give your friends' phone numbers out in a public forum, treat their email address with similar regard.

How to Spot an Email Hoax:

• Always do a quick search on Google before you ever consider forwarding it on. Often the email subject or a couple of snippets of text enough to see if it's real or not.
• If it tells you to forward the message on [to everyone you know] it's certainly a hoax or at best irresponsible.
• If it tell you about a virus threat and how to fix / avoid it, it's probably a hoax.
• If it has been sent to lots of people you don't know (especially if you can see their email addresses) it's probably a hoax, don't make the problem worse.
• If it claims to be from an unnamed expert (or computer repair man), it's probably a hoax.
• If it claims that Google / Microsoft / Symantec / BBC are reporting something but does not link back to their website, it's almost certainly a hoax.
• If it sounds really scary it's probably a hoax. Viruses / worms are frighteningly dull in real life.
• If it uses large text, colourful fonts or a daft font (especially Comic Sans), it's almost certainly a hoax.
• If you're not sure, ask... try sending the email to a friend you trust to ask their opinion.

How to Deal with an Email Hoax or Urban Legend

• Send a polite email back to whoever sent it to you encouraging them to behave more responsibly in future, get them to read this email as an article on my website if you think it will help "Protecting your address book" and other email hoaxes
• Don't reply to all on the email to warn everyone else, you just make it worse. If there is an "oops" email to be sent out it should come from the same person as sent it to you.
• Use Bcc if you want to be helpful and email the wider public and coach them.

Hope it helps,

Jeremy