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Like old soldiers, some Internet hoaxes never die.
Case in point: a recently circulated e-mail that warns wireless carriers this week will give customers' cell phone numbers out to phone solicitors.
In reality, the companies aren't releasing the numbers this week, nor do they plan to in the future. And, according to the Federal Trade Commission, it's illegal in most cases for telemarketers to dial cell phones.
But that hasn't stopped people from circulating the latest version of the hoax e-mail, which has made the rounds in some form since 2004.
"People are generally good-hearted, and so when they see an e-mail that looks helpful, they try to pass it on," FTC spokesman Mitch Katz said. "The Internet is a powerful tool.
It's easy to forward thousands of e-mails very quickly."
The FTC and the wireless industry have issued numerous news releases refuting the false e-mail alert, and hoax-debunking Web site Snopes.com even lists it among its "Top 15 Legends."
"REMINDER ... All cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies tomorrow and you will start to receive sale calls," the recently circulated e-mail says. "BAD NEWS ... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS."
The message urges concerned readers to call the FTC to sign up for its national do-not-call registry, a list of phone numbers that are off limits to telemarketers.
Some trace the rumor to a wireless industry effort earlier in the decade to compile a national database of cell numbers. The industry never shared the information with telemarketers, officials said, nor does it plan to.
"Wireless companies take the privacy concerns of their customers seriously," said Shannon Nix, spokeswoman for industry trade group CTIA - The Wireless Association.
While the e-mails contain incorrect information, they don't appear to be illegal spam, said Jacqueline Lipton, a Case Western Reserve University law professor who studies e-mail fraud. The messages are a nuisance, but they don't actually fish for personal information or try to convince the recipient to pay money for a service.
"They play into people's fear that they've lost control of their personal information and knowledge about their personal lives," Lipton said. "I think that may be why they keep getting passed around."
The FTC's Katz said the commission regularly receives media calls on the e-mails, but that the number has dwindled as the agency and the wireless industry have done more outreach to consumers.
"We've been trying to get the word out, but reaching 300 million people across the country isn't easy," Katz said. "We're doing what we can."
Consumers wanting to add their land lines or cell phones to the do-not-call registry can visit the Web site www.donotcall.gov or call (888) 382-1222.
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