snopes.com: Update #453 Hello again from snopes, where we shed light on the wild tales you've heard! This e-mail gives information about new articles recently added to the snopes.com web site and provides pointers to older pieces about rumors and hoaxes still wandering into everyone's inboxes. Our last update mailing was 30 January 2010. If you've ever wondered about how this site began or the people behind it, the April issue of Reader's Digest features an article about snopes.com and us, its founders, David and Barbara Mikkelson. You can even read it online! If after this update you are left wondering about something newly arrived in your inbox, our search engine stands ready to assist you. Bookmark that URL — it's a keeper! And now to the legends, the mayhem, and the misinformation!   New Articles Did actress Catherine Bell correctly predict the results of the 2002 Super Bowl prior to the start of the NFL season? About franchised postal center outlets charging more than official postal service rates for mailing items. E-rumors claim that states are installing cameras along interstate highways that automatically track and ticket speeders. Alert warns that entering "Automation Labs" into Facebook's "Block List" option will display a list of twenty people who have access to your Facebook account. 'Triangle of Life' article provides advice about earthquake safety. Hoax messages warn that communication with strangers will provide bad people with access they will use to harm you. Fraud alert: Thieves steal card numbers and PINs by equipping ATMs with duplicate card readers and wireless cameras. A collection of scams that flourish when economic times are tough. Politician has an encounter with 'circle flies.' Did KISS bassist Gene Simmons have a cow's tongue grafted onto his own? Don't forget to visit our Daily Snopes page for a collection of odd news stories from around the world! Worth a Second Look Did Sherlock Holmes really say "Elementary, my dear Watson"? Still Haunting the Inbox Check out our 25 Hottest Urban Legends list to keep abreast of what's circulating in the on-line world. Fraud Afoot Seems like everyone has become the recipient of mysterious e-mails promising untold wealth if only one helps a wealthy foreigner quietly move millions of dollars out of his country. The venerable 419 Scam has discovered the goldmine that is the Internet. Beware: There's still no such thing as "something for nothing," and the contents of your bank account will end up with these wily foreigners if you fall in with this. Likewise, look out for mailings announcing you've won a foreign lottery you don't recall entering or claiming that because you share the surname of a wealthy person who died without leaving a will you're in line for a windfall inheritance. And be especially wary if, while trying to sell or rent anything online (car, boat, horse, motorcycle, painting, apartment, you name it) you're approached by a prospective buyer/renter who wants to pay with a cashier check made out for an amount in excess of the agreed-upon price and who asks the balance be sent to a third party. Aspiring work-at-homers promised big bucks for acting as intermediaries for international transactions wherein they cash checks for other parties or reship goods to them have been defrauded by con artists. Don't you be next. Admin Stuff View the latest edition of the snopes.com newsletter online. Please note that the e-mail address update@snopes.com is an administrative address used only for mailing weekly updates to subscribers. All mail sent to this address is automatically deleted. If you wish to change your subscription information or unsubscribe, please use the links provided at the bottom of every newsletter mailing. If you wish to find information on a particular topic, please use the search engine. Our What's New page and our 25 Hottest Urban Legends page are also handy places to check whenever you receive something questionable in your inbox. Other inquiries and comments may be submitted through the "Contact Us" form at snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2009 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson. This material may not be reproduced without permission. snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of snopes.com.