The Klingerman "Virus" Email Warning Is A Hoax

Last significant update: 27 May 2000

This information can be freely reproduced in any medium, as long as the information is unmodified.

Thanks to Janet Meyerhoff Blazejowski for first bringing this to our attention on 8 May, 2000.

Here's a hoax that plays on people's fears -- but a bit of critical reasoning makes it clear that it's full of nonsense:

> 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 inbox.

Hmmm. 23 cases? That would have made the nightly news, right? Moreover, the United States Postal Service would probably have something about it on their web site.

Hmmm. Indeed they do: see what the USPS (leaving our site) has to say about it. HINT: They confirm that is is a hoax. Who would have guessed?

> 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.

Ahhh; the vaguely alluded to "health officials". Well, this certainly seems like a case for the Center for Disease Control -- let's see what the CDC (leaving our site) have say. HINT: The name of the CDC URL tells all

> When asked for comment, Florida police Sergeant Stetson said, "We are
> working with the CDC and the USPS, 

Well, that's a mistake on the part of the hoaxter: directs folks right to the debunk. Ah, the dilemma for the hoaxter: make it vague, and it's clearly bunkum (unsupported claims); make it precise, and folks can check and thereby show the falsehood directly. I won't shed any tears, though, since hoaxters are such lowlife chumps.

> 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."

The hoaxters are the ones making things difficult, not some lunatic with a virus.

> Those who have come in contact with the Klingerman Virus have been
> hospitalized with severe dysentery.  So far seven of the twentythree victims
> have died.  There is no legitimate Klingerman Foundation mailing unsolicited
> gifts.

Nor is there a legitimate Klingerman virus, or even an illegitimate one.

> 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.

What you don't want is to receive this drivel, or forward it to others.

> PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT.

The ultimate hoax tipoff.

Please do not forward this -- or any other hoax -- to all your friends.

Instead, you should reply to the sender -- and as far back up the email chain as you have energy -- informing the originators that this is a hoax. For this particular hoax, I suggest that you provide a pointer to this URL (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/hoaxes/klingerman.html)
For virus or hoax info, please see our main page (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/) or go to another reputable site, like The Urban Legends Reference Pages (leaving our site). In particular, see their Klingerman hoax debunk (leaving our site).

   -BPB

visits to this page since 27 May 2000 00:52 EDT