================================================ Subject: Re: this is NOT a hoax...YES it is a hoax From: To: Date: Thu 4 Oct 2001 05:36:11 +0000 ================================================ thank you for posting this, michele...i heard about this one on cnn last night...and don't you just love snopes? Lee -- ~~they laugh at us because we're different; we laugh at them because they're all the same~~Drowning Pool ~~Be careful what you learn, sometimes knowing burns~~Virgos Merlot > WWW.SNOPES.COM > > Claim: Someone is sending sponges carrying a deadly "Klingerman virus" to > victims via U.S. Mail. Status: False. Examples: > > > > [Collected on the Internet, 2000] I feel it is vital to inform all of my > > friends about this. This is an alert about a virus in the original sense of > > the word . . . one that affects your body, not your hard drive. There have > > been 23 confirmed cases of people attacked by the Klingerman Virus, a virus > > that arrives in your real mail box, not your e-mail in box. Someone has > > been mailing large blue envelopes, seemingly at random, to people inside > > the US. On the front of the envelope in bold black letters is printed, "A > > gift for you from the Klingerman Foundation." When the envelopes are > > opened, there is a small sponge sealed in plastic. This sponge carries what > > has come to be known as the Klingerman Virus, as public health officials > > state this is a strain of virus they have not previously encountered. When > > asked for comment, Florida police Sergeant Stetson said, "We are working > > with the CDC and the USPS, but have so far been unable to track down the > > origins of these letters. The return addresses have all been different, and > > we are certain a remailing service is being used, making our jobs that much > > more difficult." Those who have come in contact with the Klingerman Virus > > have been hospitalized with severe dysentery. So far seven of the > > twenty-three victims have died. There is no legitimate Klingerman > > Foundation mailing unsolicited gifts. If you receive an oversized blue > > envelope in the mail marked,"A gift from the Klingerman foundation", DO NOT > > open it. Place the envelope in a strong plastic bag or container, and call > > the police immediately. The "gift" inside is one you definitely do not > > want. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT. [Collected on the > > Internet, 2001] I received an email from a friend who has a cousin employed > > by The National Guard in New York. They have been meeting with government > > officials just about every other day. It seems that 7 people have died when > > opening an envelope addressed "From Me to You" He told her to place any > > envelope such as this in a zip lock bag and call the police. DO NOT OPEN IF > > YOU RECEIVE A PACKAGE SUCH AS THIS. This is not a legend - this actually > > came from my personal friend's COUSIN. The public has not been notified > > because they don't want people to panic yet. They are verifying that these > > were isolated situations - if that verification does not come forth - they > > will alert the nation. So just beware. My personal thoughts are not to open > > mail from an unknown sender or one that you don't recognize. Unfortunately > > we are living is times LIKE THIS!!! Be blessed. > > > Variations: > > The January 2001 version of the "Klingerman virus" hoax opened with this > paragraph: > > > This is from Schwab corporate headquarters - so it's no joke. Very scary. Be > > careful Just when you thought you were safe, now we have the following to > > deal with . . . please read, it definitely is a serious threat to our lives > > and health. > > > > > > > and closed with the signature of someone from Yale-New Haven Hospital. > > The September 2001 variations in circulation included the standard > "Klingerman Foundation" warning, but also sometimes listed the > evil-intentioned mailer as the "Kricker Group," "Kinderman Foundation," or > "Leberman Foundation." > > One variant in circulation in September 2001 (quoted as the second example > above) strips away almost everything that would identify it as a Klingerman > spin-off -- only someone well versed in online lore would recognize one as > the other, because the text has been changed and all mentions of foundations > and blue envelopes are missing. Yet it's the same fallacious warning: People > died from opening an envelope containing something noxious. > Origins: Not to worry -- there is no "Klingerman Virus," nobody has died > from receiving virus-bearing sponges in the mail, and neither the United > States Postal Service nor the Centers for Disease Control are currently > investigating anything akin to what is described here. This is merely another > in a long line of dumb e-mail hoaxes, one which first made the rounds in May > 2000, started circulating again in January 2001, and was revived yet another > time in September 2001 when fears about biochemical warfare were revived by > the Attack on America. > Nonetheless, this hoax has caused problems more than once when people have > taken it seriously: > On 20 May 2000, a Palm Beach woman who had read the "Klingerman" warning on > the Internet, received a pale blue envelope that promised a cash prize and > was stamped with the words "restricted access" in the mail. She wrapped it, > unopened, in a plastic grocery bag; two days later, she called 911 to consult > with them about what to do with it. > Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies, a bomb squad, a hazardous materials > team and a postal inspector converged on her home that day to inspect the > envelope. > "It had to be handled appropriately in the event there was something to it," > sheriff's Capt. Michael Gauger said. > But as the bomb squad prepared to x-ray the envelope, a neighbor told them > she had received a similar letter, opened it and found magazine ads inside. > On 25 May 2000, a terrified resident of Auburn, Maine, called 911 after > receiving an envelope from the Handyman Club of America containing a free > sanding sponge. As the Associated Press reported: "Emergency dispatchers kept > [him] on the line while fire trucks, cruisers and ambulances rushed to his > home. The street was sealed off for half a mile. Police called the FBI. > People in spacey hazardous materials suits ushered [him] outside, stripped > him down to his shorts and sprayed him with a fire hose before sending him to > the hospital." > It's a pity whoever started this hoax doesn't get the same treatment. > To unsubscribe or change your preferences for the Creed-Discuss list, visit: http://www.winduplist.com/ls/discuss/form.asp