Threat of Deadly Phone Virus Causing Panic

A joke message has created panic amongst mobile phone users in Pakistan and Afganistan.

Mobile phone users were receiving an sms message that told them they would contract a deathly virus through their phone. In the virus threat message, a warning was given saying that the phone virus had already killed 20 people. The message told phone users that they would receive a phone call and if they answered it they would catch the virus and die.

In English the message says, "Do not answer any call from a four digit number. It's a virus, which has frequency more than your ear can hear. It will effect your brain and put you to death, be careful please." These message also said, "Some kind of X-ray or virus comes out when you received a call from a 12-digit number having 0099 and it transmits a virus that damages the brain and caused death. This is not a joke."

The joke is very similar to the famous Japanese horror film 'Ring', where a videotape gets watched and as soon as the video finishes the phone rings. The person who answers the phone dies shortly afterwards. An English version of the cult horror film was made by Hollywood and was a huge success around the world.

The spread of the virus threat became so believed and widespread that Karachi city mosques were warning people about this deadly virus being spread through mobile phones. The mosques told people to prepare for the wrath of God.

Mobile phone users in Karachi and around Pakistan were over running the customer service lines of their service providers. The message was spreading fast and causing people to panic. The mobile phone users are calling to see if the message if true.

The deadly virus message is also causing panic amongst mobile phone users in Afghanistan today. The message caused people to frantically contact their family members and friends to warn them about the deadly phone virus.

The Afghan government was trying to prevent even more panic by telling the population that there was no truth in the message that it was just a prank. They wanted people to know that they had nothing to worry about.

In Pakistan mobile phone companies tried to calm the fear of its customers by stating, "these rumors are completely baseless. They do not make any sense in technological terms."

Mobile phone use is very high in Pakistan. Of the country's 160 million population 52 million use a mobile.

Sources
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSISL25789320070416
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=585122007
http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/04/14/10118221.html