Yes, I was mean ...

... in calling a friend out for sending me a forward, but alarmist spam really bugs me.

I guess I won't bother with a "top ten ways to identify a bogus forward" list, but I did find this bit of advice that I found online useful:

Take your time. Resist any urge to “act now”.

When you get a forwarded mail, your impulse should not be - ohmigodletmesendthistoeveryoneiknow. Instead, consider sitting on it. Don't ask yourself - could this be real? Ask yourself - could this be spam? If the answer is even maybe, then it is probably junk.