| Return of the 'Deadly Blue Package' | |||||||||||||||||||
| 'Viral' rumor makes an infectious comeback | |||||||||||||||||||
Dateline: 10/01/01
By David Emery
Urgent email warnings about a deadly virus, poison or other "lethal substance" being mailed out randomly in blue packages marked "Just for You" are new variants of a year-old Internet hoax.
Originally known as the "Klingerman Virus," the hoax itself has exhibited virus-like characteristics of late, mutating to adapt to a changing environment and ensure its own propagation and survival.
In the weeks since the September 11 terrorist attacks, amid lingering fears of further assaults and warnings of biological warfare, the original text has found its way back into circulation alongside virtually identical alerts describing a so-called "Kinderman Virus" and variations ranging from envelopes allegedly containing a chemical that kills instantly when sniffed to blank sheets of paper that supposedly cause a rash followed by a coma to mailings decorated with American flags that contain a "powdery substance" contaminated with anthrax.
After a rash of similar-sounding real-life incidents reported around the U.S. during the second week of October and the simultaneous discovery of anthrax contamination in media and government office buildings, these once-laughable rumors have now taken on an air of credibility. It's important to note, however, that as of this writing no evidence of biohazardous materials has been found in any of the cases where "suspicious" envelopes or packages have been delivered to people's homes. Every investigated incident has turned out to be a hoax or a false alarm.
As a precaution, the FBI and U.S. Postal Service urge Americans to contact authorities immediately if any unusual or suspicious packages or materials are delivered. Obviously we concur with that official advice, but we also recommend taking forwarded email warnings like the following with a grain of salt until confirmed by authorities:
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