Blackberry ‘Broadcast or Update Cancelled’ Hoax

Outline

Rapidly circulating text message claims that Blackberry users must broadcast the same message to all their contacts or they will miss out a BBM update and will no longer be able to chat with friends because they will have the old version.

Brief Analysis

The message is an absurd hoax designed to fool people into sending on utterly pointless information. Users do not need to forward a text message to receive service updates or stop their accounts from being disabled. Any message that makes such a claim is sure to be a hoax and should not be taken seriously. Several similar hoaxes have surfaced over recent years.

Example

Detailed Analysis

According to this message, which is circulating rapidly via Blackberry users, those who do not “broadcast” the message straight away will miss out on an important service update. The message claims that those who do not send on the message will no longer be able to chat to their contacts because they will be left using the old version and their device will not be “repaired”.

However, the claims in the message are utter nonsense. The message is just one more in a line of similar hoaxes that claim that Blackberry users must send on a text to keep their accounts active or avoid disruptions to their service.

Blackberry has published information on its website warning users about such hoaxes. They have also dismissed the messages as spam and urged users to ignore them via their Service Centre Facebook Page.



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 be reposted.

If you receive one of these hoax messages, do not add to the clutter by sending it to others. And take a moment to let the sender know that the message is a hoax.