Federal Bill 602P: 5-cent email tax

Hoax Encyclopedia

From Mary Landesman,

Description: This email hoax warns of Federal Bill 602P which the author claims will impose a 5-cent email tax on every delivered email.

The Facts: There is no Federal Bill 602P nor is their a Congressional representative named Tony Schnell. Both the facts and the email are a fake. The email has been in circulation since at least 1999. Unlike most hoaxes, it is detailed and well-written, perhaps making it seem more believable and thus explaining its successful run as a hoax.

Example of the hoax email:
Subject: 5 cent e-mail

Guess the warnings were true. Federal Bill 602P 5-cents per E-mail sent. It figures! No more free E-mail! We knew this was coming!!

Bill 602P will permit the Federal Government to charge a 5-cent charge on every delivered E-mail. Please read the following carefully if you intend to stay online and continue using E-mail.

The last few months have revealed an alarming trend in the Government of the United States attempting to quietly push through legislation that will affect our use of the Internet. Under proposed legislation, the US Postal Service will be attempting to bill E-mail users "alternative postage fees."

Bill 602P will permit the Federal Government to charge a 5-cent surcharge on every E-mail delivered, by billing Internet Service Providers at source. The consumer would then be billed in turn by the ISP.

Washington DC lawyer Richard Stepp is working without pay to prevent this legislation from becoming law. The US Postal Service is claiming lost revenue, due to the proliferation of E-mail, is costing nearly $230,000,000 in revenue per year. You may have noticed their recent ad campaign: "There is nothing like a letter." Since the average person received about 10 pieces of E-mail per day in 1998, the cost of the typical individual would be an additional 50 cents a day - or over $180 per year - above and beyond their regular Internet costs.