LETTER PLEA ON BEHALF OF DYING CHILD A HOAX

DEXTER -- A chain-letter plea for a dying boy who wants to receive a record number of business cards is a hoax, said a representative of the Make-A-Wish Foundation regional office in Springfield.

"I think (a letter such as this one) has been going around about eight years now," Alexis Slyter said. In fact, the existence of fraudulent chain letters has prompted the Foundation to include a section on the letters on its Internet site:

"Each day, the Make-A-Wish Foundation National Office and chapters receive hundreds of inquiries regarding chain letters claiming to be associated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. As a matter of policy, the Make-A-Wish Foundation does not conduct these types of wishes -- including Internet and e-mail requests."