Peter Dockrill29 June 2006, 2:06 AM
The internet is abuzz with the story of Ashley Flores, a purportedly missing 13-year-old girl from Philadelphia. Emails bearing her image are currently circulating between Australian inboxes - but there's something a bit fishy about this missing girl story. . .
The internet is abuzz with the story of Ashley Flores, a purportedly missing 13-year-old girl from Philadelphia.
Emails bearing her image are currently circulating between Australian inboxes, alerting recipients to her missing status and asking well-meaning mail readers to forward the email on to those they know, in the hope that the missing girl can be found.
The only catch is - Ashley Flores isn’t missing, and no-one can say for sure who the girl in the photo actually is. In fact, nobody’s even sure if “Ashley Flores” even exists (but she probably does). Welcome to the latest internet hoax; another in a long line including Bill Gates' email beta program; HIV-infected syringes being planted in cinema seats; Kimberley Anne is dying of a horrible disease and wants to collect as many America Online CDs as she can before she dies.
The Ashley Flores flyer is simply an email prank, spread unwittingly by the good samaritans of the world.
And it’s not hard to see why it’s such a successful ruse. Using simple, emotive language (and a picture of somebody’s - if not Mr and Mrs Flores’ - daughter), the email acts as a call to arms for the reader’s conscience, imploring the side of you that actually gives a damn to do the least you can (ie. hit the Forward button).
The email reads:
“Please look at the picture, read what her mother says, then forward this message on.
Maybe if everyone passes this on, someone will see this child. That is how the girl from Stevens Point was found, by circulation of her picture on TV. The internet circulates even overseas, South America, and Canada etc. Thanks. Please pass this to everyone in your address book.
We have a Deli manager (Acme Markets) from Philadelphia, Pa who has a 13 year old daughter who has been missing for 2 weeks. Keep the picture moving. With luck on her side she will be found.
`I am asking you all, begging you to please forward this email on to anyone and everyone you know, PLEASE. My 13 year old girl, Ashley Flores, is missing. She has been missing for now two weeks.
It is still not too late. Please help us. If anyone any where knows anything, please contact me at: mailto:HelpfindAshleyFlores@yahoo.com. I am including a picture of her. All prayers are appreciated!!"
It only takes 2 seconds to forward this.
If it was your child, you would want all the help you could get.'
And that’s all it takes. Words are read. Heartstrings are pulled. Forward buttons are pressed. And the hoax thrives.
Debunking site Urban Legends dug some dirt on the hoax and ended up discovering its potential originator, a 17-year-old Philadelphian MySpace user going by the name of Vicki. When Urban Legends contacted Vicki, it was met with the following response:
“ashley flores is not missing it was a merly a joke that got completely out of hand please imform everyone that email that she is NOT missing it was a joke im sorry about any confusion”
The email has been circulating since May and is arguably now more of a pest in countries other than the US (where it originated - but where it has perhaps already done the rounds and had its’ 15 minutes).
What I find fascinating about the whole affair is the speed and momentum with which the fabrication propagates itself. The simple combination of 1. internet and email access, 2. users and workers at their desks killing time and 3. a cunning practical joke equates to a whole lot of folks gotten the better of.