Hoax Warnings


	Alphabetical Index

NAME:	Bill 602P hoax
ALIAS:	Postal E-mail Charges hoax

A hoax message is in circulation that appeals to people to oppose Bill 602P that is reportedly aimed to charge 5 cents from each e-mail a person sends. Here is what the hoax message looks like:

 Dear Internet Subscriber:

 Please read the following carefully if you intend to stay online
 and continue using email: 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 your use of
 the Internet. Under proposed legislation the U.S. Postal Service
 will be attempting to bilk email users out of "alternate postage
 fees".

 Bill 602P will permit the Federal Govt. to charge a 5
 cent surcharge on every email delivered, by billing Internet
 Service Providers at source. The consumer would then be billed
 in turn by the ISP. Washington D.C. lawyer Richard Stepp is
 working without pay to prevent this legislation from becoming
 law. The U.S. Postal Service is claiming that lost revenue due
 to the proliferation of email 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 citizen
 received about 10 pieces of email per day in 1998, the cost to
 the typical individual would be an additional 50 cents per day,
 or over $180 dollars per year, above and beyond their regular
 Internet costs. Note that this would be money paid directly to
 the U.S. Postal Service for a service they do not even provide.

 The whole point of the Internet is democracy and
 non-interference. If the federal government is permitted to
 tamper with our liberties by adding a surcharge to email, who
 knows where it will end. You are already paying an exorbitant
 price for snail mail because of bureacratic efficiency. It
 currently takes up to 6 days for a letter to be delivered from
 New York to Buffalo.

 If the U.S. Postal Service is allowed to tinker with email, it
 will mark the end of the "free" Internet in the United States.
 One congressman, Tony Schnell � has even suggested a "twenty to
 forty dollar per month surcharge on all Internet service" above
 and beyond the government's proposed email charges. Note that
 most of the major newspapers have ignored the story, the only
 exception being the Washingtonian which called the idea of email
 surcharge "a useful concept who's time has come" March 6th 1999
 Editorial) Don't sit by and watch your freedoms erode away!

 Send this email to all Americans on your list and tell your
 friends and relatives to write to their congressman and say
 "No!" to Bill 602P.

 Kate Turner Assistant to Richard Stepp, Berger, Stepp and Gorman
 Attorneys at Law 216 Concorde Street, Vienna, Va.

Another variant of this hoax was in circulation in July-August 2000:

 Please Read Carefully & Forward.....
 VOTE NO ON Bill 602P!!!!

 I guess the warnings were true. Federal Bill 602P wants us to
 pay 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 out of "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. Note
 that this would be money paid directly to the US Postal Service
 for a service "they do not even provide".

 The whole point of the Internet is democracy and
 non-interference. You are already paying an exorbitant price for
 snail mail because of bureaucratic efficiency. It currently
 takes up to 6 days for a letter to be delivered from coast to
 coast. If the US Postal Service is allowed to tinker with
 E-mail, it will mark the end of the "free" Internet in the
 United States.

 Our congressional representative, Tony Schnell (R) has even
 suggested a "$20-$40 per month surcharge on all Internet
 service" above and beyond the governments proposed E-mail
 charges. Note that most of the major newspapers have ignored the
 story - the only exception being the Washingtonian - which
 called the idea of E-mail surcharge "a useful concept who's time
 has come" (March 6th, 1999 Editorial).

 Do not sit by and watch your freedom erode away! Send this to
 E-mail to EVERYONE on your list, and tell all your friends and
 relatives write their congressional representative and say "NO"
 to Bill 602P. It will only take a few moments of your time and
 could very well be instrumental in killing a bill we do not want
 !!!!!"

 If you don't vote, then you can't complain when we are forced to
 pay a price "WE THE PEOPLE " never agreed upon.. For yourself,
 please just follow the link.. locate your state representative's
 Name, "Email Him" and ask him to say no.

 "SAY NO!!!!!! to BILL 602P"

Another variant from May 2001, now Australian Government is mentioned:

 This came in to my mail box on Tuesday. It is cause for some
 concern if it is true.

 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 Australia
 attempting to quietly push through legislation that will affect
 our use of the Internet. Under proposed legislation, the
 Australian Postal Service will be attempting to bill E-mail
 users for "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.

 Canberra lawyer Richard Stepp is working without pay to prevent
 this legislation from becoming law. The Australian 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 (20 in 1998), the cost to the typical individual would be an
 additional 50 cents a day or over $180 per year above and beyond
 their regular Internet costs. Note that this would be money paid
 directly to the Australian Postal Service for a service they do
 not even provide.

 The whole point of the Internet is democracy and
 noninterference. You are already paying an exorbitant price for
 ordinary mail because of bad efficiency.

 It currently takes up to 6 days for a letter to be delivered
 anywhere in Australia or longer. If the Australian Postal
 Service is allowed to interfere with E-mail, it will mark the
 end of the "free" Internet in Australia. Our Canberra
 representative, Tony Schnell (r) has even suggested a "$20- $40
 per month surcharge on all Internet service" above and beyond
 the government's proposed E-mail charges. Note that most of the
 major newspapers have ignored the story, the only exception
 being the Sun Herald which called the idea of E-mail surcharge
 "a useful concept who's time has come" (March 6th, 1999
 Editorial).

 Do not sit by and watch your freedom erode away! Send this to
 E-mail to EVERYONE on your list, and tell your friends and
 relatives to write to their Canberra or local polictal
 representative and say "NO" to Bill 602P.

 It will only take a few moments of your time and could very well
 be instrumental in killing a bill we do not want.

 Please forward.

Bill 602P does not exist and no one is planning to charge people for sending e-mails as far as we know. Please ignore this hoax message if you receive it and do not pass it on.

[Last modified: May 2001]