There are, of course, jillions of urban legends floating around the internet.  We all get emails that say, "This happened to my cousin/best friend/dog/mother/father so believe it" and frequently end with an admonishment that if you don't pass it along, lightning will strike you and you'll die.  Or get cooties.  Or whatever.  They're all a bunch of stuff and you only need go to Snopes to find out whether there is any truth to what you're reading.  Some old chestnuts are included here.