Forwarding Email Hoaxes

I receive an email about once a week from a very close relative (ok, my mom) that hasn’t originated from her.  The contents of the email are varied, but generally deal with warnings, possible money making opportunities, and other similar topics.  

I almost always reply that the email that she forwarded was a hoax.  How can she think that Bill Gates will send her $1000, that there is a Nigerian Prince waiting to bestow a cool $10 million, or that there is a cancer-stricken child that will be saved, if everyone forwards the email to all of their friends?

I reply that she is gravely mistaken.  I always include a link or ten to genuine web articles that reference these hoaxes.  

I also caution her that she could actually be forwarding dangerous links and harming her friends' computers.  

Is this a generational thing?  Boomer 6446 (link to blog post) discusses this more in-depth than I have the patience for.  I lost it after the last email warning me about my Swiffer WetJet and how it would cause my dog’s liver to fail.