This has been a trait in Humans since the Snake (Satan) told Adam and Eve that God was not telling them the truth about the Tree of Life.
What is different is that now days conspiracies are fed by the world wide web. At the speed of light news about deadly toilet spiders, AIDS needles on theater seats, Microsoft giveaways if you forward this to 10 people, The new North American Flag, and even Hogzilla. With this new technology, we all have to examine these stories more carefully before we panic and send it to everyone we know.
What about Hogzilla?
I worry about people who take dietary advice from reptiles.