Call for a Boycott of Exxon and Mobil-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
A warning that gasoline prices in the U.S. could get close to $4 a gallon by summer. The email claims that a retired Coca Cola executive sent an idea that came from an engineer friend who retired from Halliburton. It suggests boycotting Exxon and Mobil, forcing them to lower prices.
The Truth:
It’s clever to claim that this was suggested by an engineer who was a close friend of a retired Coca Cola executive but that doesn’t conceal the fact that the message in this eRumor is not new. It’s nearly identical to eRumors that have circulated before calling for a boycott of Exxon and Mobil.
There have been numerous attempts at grass-roots campaigns to affect gas and oil prices at the pumps through forwarded emails. None of them has ever had a measurable impact on fuel sales.
Updated 4/13/06