BlackBerry Messenger Resend to Save Account Hoax

Outline
Circulating text message claims that BlackBerry Messenger users must resend the information to others or risk having their service deactivated.



Brief Analysis
The message is an absurd hoax an should not be reposted. There is not a shred of truth in the warning. It is a revamp of a number of earlier hoaxes that have circulated for more than a decade.

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Last updated: 12th October 2011
First published: 12th October 2011
Article written by Brett M. Christensen
About Brett Christensen and Hoax-Slayer

Example


Detailed Analysis
According to a message that is circulating rapidly via BlackBerry Messenger, users who do not resend the message to "every single contact" risk have their accounts rendered inactive. The message claims that Blackberry's servers have "recently been really full" and users must therefore verify that they are active users by resending the information to others. The message also claims that those who comply and "broadcast" the message will receive an update that features a new layout and colour scheme for chat.

However, the claims in the message are utter nonsense. In fact, the message is a slightly reworked version of another Blackberry Messenger hoax that began circulating in 2010. The earlier incarnation claimed to be direct from "RIM (Research In Motion) proprietors of BlackBerry". BlackBerry has published a notice about the hoax on its website and urges users to ignore the message.

And the earlier version was itself derived from a whole series of email-based hoaxes that claimed that uses would lose their accounts with various services if they did not forward a message. Other variants claim that a particular online service such as Facebook will start charging users unless they send on the information to others.

No legitimate company or service provider is ever likely to require customers to repost a silly message in order to keep their accounts or prove that they are active users. Any message that makes such a claim is virtually certain to be a hoax and should not reposted.

The following links point to articles debunking other versions of the hoax:

• Hotmail Account Hoax
• MSN Shutdown Hoax
• AOL 100,000 Signatures Hoax
• MSN Messenger 500,000 Signatures Hoax
• MSN 18 Contacts Hoax
• Bebo.com Closing Down Hoax
• Another Hotmail Account Closure Hoax Email
• Facebook Shutting Down Hoax

References
BlackBerry RIM Inactive Account Hoax
Hoax message circulating on BlackBerry Messenger
Hoax: Facebook to Start Charging This Summer - Facebook Icon Will Turn Blue

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