Jasmine Thomas Charity Hoax
Summary:Email claims that the Red Cross will donate money to help 11 year old Jasmine Thomas who's mother requires surgery as a result of the WTC disaster (
Full commentary below.)
Status:False
Example:(Received vie email, 2003)
Subject: FW: Fwd please!!
Hi, I'm sorry about this fwd. My name is Jasmine
. I'm 11 years old. My mommy worked on the 20th floor in the World Trade Tower. On Sept. 11 2001 my daddy drove my mom to work. She was running late so she left her purse in the car. My daddy seen it so he parked the car and went to give her the purse. That day after school my daddy didn't come to pick me up. Instead a police man came and took me to foster care . Finally I found out why my daddy never came.. I really loved him.... They never found his body.. My mom is in the the Hospital since then.. She is losing lots of blood.. She needs to go through surgery.. But since my daddy is gone and no one is working.. We have no money .. And her surgery cost lots of money.. So the Red Cross said that.. for every time this email is fwd we Will get 10 cent for my mom's surgery. So please have a heart and fwd this to everyone you know I really miss my daddy and now I don't want to lose my mommy too.. R.I.P. Daddy..(James Thomas !--! NOTICE!--! WHEN YOU FWD PLEASE ALSO FWD TO THIS LETTER BACK TO ME... AT.... jasNmom2001@yahoo.com ...SO THAT THE REDCROSS PEOPLE CAN COUNT THE FWDS. thank you for taking your time to fwd this email this really means alot me and my future.. love, Jasmine
Commentary:
The Jasmine Thomas charity hoax reproduced above is yet another hoax
that claims money will be donated in exchange for forwarding emails. This claim is, and always has
been, pure fantasy. Emails that try to convince you that
money will be donated based on how many times an email is forwarded are just plain nonsense.
This hoax is particularly heartless and cruel because it attempts to capitalize on the tragedy of 9/ll. The original email has spawned other versions that differ in names and details. But all claim that the American Red Cross will donate money for forwarded emails. The Red Cross has denied any such arrangement and has the following statement on their
website:
The American Red Cross is aware that false e-mail hoaxes purportedly involving or benefiting the Red Cross are circulating, particularly in the form of "chain letter" e-mails. Typically, the authors of such e-mails claim to be victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and promise that the American Red Cross will make a financial contribution on the recipient's behalf each time the e-mail is forwarded. These e-mails are fraudulent. The American Red Cross does not use, authorize or condone such chain letter e-mails for fundraising or for any other purpose. If you receive these types of communications, please disregard them and forward the e-mail in question to Jennifer Meyer in Online Fund Raising at mokrzyckip@usa.redcross.org. The American Red Cross works very hard to stop such fraudulent activity.
Write-up by Brett M.Christensen
