April Fools Day Computer Pranks

April Fools Day pranks have long been a tradition for adults and kids alike. Some April Fools Day pranks are as simple and harmless as mentioning a nonexistent stain on a shirt all the way up to elaborate devious pranks that border on cruel and unusual.

A popular television show that sets up complex pranks is called "Scare Tactics." I enjoy watching the show, but the pranks they pull are way over the top of anything I'd want to do to a friend or loved one. The pranks are often very cruel, very realistic, and they are definitely scary. People are sometimes led to believe their lives are in danger in very elaborate set-ups that include other very believable people who are in on the prank.

People don't usually want to play exceptionally cruel April Fools Day pranks on friends and loved ones, but some April Fools Day pranks that border on cruel just can't be resisted. My sister-in-law once played a prank on me that I fell for hook, line, and sinker. It wasn't anything that would have given me heart failure as some of the set-ups on Scare Tactics would, but it could fit into the "cruel" category. She sent a false notification that I had won a large sum of money, and since I was known to enter online contests, I thought it could very well be true.

Fake Prizes and Contest Winner Notifications

If you know someone who deserves to think they've won a fabulous prize in some sweepstakes or contest, there are a few strategies that will allow you to pull off a successful April Fool's Day prank. If your April Fools Day prank victim isn't really familiar with instant win lottery tickets, for a couple of dollars you can give your special friend or loved one the surprise of a lifetime.

Many stores that sell lottery tickets also sell fake scratch-off tickets. These fake scratch-off tickets look very realistic. When the April Fools Day victim scratches off the ticket coating, they are led to believe they've won a large sum of money. It looks like they've really won - until they read the back of the ticket. You'd better have on your jogging shoes, because when your friend finds out it's an April Fools Day prank, you will need to run!

There are websites that allow you to prank unsuspecting people by sending them fraudulent online cards and announcements. At http://www.slygreetings.com/ members can sign up to send all sorts of prank cards and computer tricks. This is the site my sister-in-law used to send notification that I had won $25,000.

I received an official looking notification that I had won, and the website requested a response. It seemed legitimate. I typed up a reaction all right! I said how I was going to pay off medical bills and buy things for my kids. Imagine my sister-in-law's reaction when she read that! She felt kind of bad about it, but I'm sure it was still funny. When I discovered it was a prank, I wasn't laughing. What a terrible disappointment! It was actually kind of funny after I got used to the idea that I wasn't going to get my $25,000 prize.

Anonymous Prank E-mails

There are websites that allow people to send completely anonymous e-mails to unsuspecting victims. This is a great way to prank someone on April Fools Day.

At http://www.pseudomailer.co.uk/ you can send anonymous e-mails to anyone with an e-mail address. There are several ready-made templates if you're at a loss for what to say. They are hilarious! This would be a really funny way to play an April Fools Day prank on someone in your household. You would no doubt hear all about it as soon as they read their e-mail.

Another fake e-mail site that would allow you to pull off a funny April Fools Day prank is http://www.fake-mailer.com/ . You must agree to the terms and conditions of the site and agree not to send hate mail or anything else considered harmful or deceptive. The site is totally free to use, and you could easily come up with some really interesting and funny April Fools Day e-mail pranks.

Computer Pranks

There are a number of great computer pranks you can make use of on April Fools Day. There are pranks that will open the CD-ROM drive of unsuspecting victims and pranks that will harmlessly cause a computer to crash. Visit http://www.computerpranks.com to find numerous prank ideas and links to online pranks that are sure to dupe your friends and loved ones on April Fools Day.