Fear Spam

Last Fall I had received a few forwards from concerned family members in regards to an internet hoax that had them desperately worried. I have started receiving them again and just wanted to post an email that I sent around last year as a counter measure against this "fear spam". I received the email from a family member who works in public safety who had in turn received it from somebody in the police force- so its not that these people were silly, its just that they were so concerned that they forwarded the message without critically examining the details. The case I was discussing regarded a business card laced with a drug called "burundanga".

Here is the email! Forward it to all your friends!!


This story is an email hoax that I've received a few times this year based on an urban legend. Thanks for passing it on to me anyways. I don't want you to be scared unnecessarily, so I've done some research for you. You could send it to your colleagues as well and advise them to investigate the background of these stories because forwarding these kinds of "warnings" only spread fear and anxiety. I'm sure they've already caused you a great deal of anxiety. If I've learned anything from school its to think critically! (Which, of course, I've done tonight.)

A simple google search of "burundanga business card" comes up with tons of info. (Snopes is the most reliable source for overturning urban legends, but other hoax identifying websites like Hoax Slayer and Urban Legends have looked into it as well.) I think if you look at these websites you will see that the email sent to you was directly copied and pasted from the original hoax email. The websites also point out inconsistencies within the story, the description of the drug, and that there are NO credible sources on such an attack ever taking place- no police reports or news stories.

I.E. The story above is a fabrication. Two details betray it as such:

1. The victim allegedly received a dose of the drug by simply touching a business card. (All sources agree that burundanga must be inhaled or ingested, or the subject must have prolonged topical contact with it, in order for it to have an effect.)
2. The victim allegedly detected a "strong odor" coming from the drug-laced card. (All sources agree that burundanga is odorless and tasteless.) (from Urban Legends link above).
   

In women's studies this was brought up and we discovered that burundanga is also known as the Columbian "zombie drug" or "Columbian Devil's Breath" which is very terrifying and scary. We watched a documentary on it in the class which I can link you to here. It's real name is scopolamine. Its used in a lot of South American countries to take advantage of tourists. In Haiti, they use a similar drug to "zombify" a person ostracized by the community. Despite the real drug's terrifying effects, I have no reason to be afraid here. After lots of research, I've found no substantiated reports of it being used in the United States or Canada except as a treatment for motion sickness.

To ease your mind I refuse to touch anything strangers give me because normally they are normally religious propaganda or dirty hobos.

Pass THIS email on!