I'm messing with shit today, sorry about the theme change. -RBCPI hate new things. -Murd0c
The Grim Reaper has a phone number: ‘Death call from the dark side’ spooks KarachiBy Bilal FarooqiKARACHI: Rumors of a ‘supernatural’ killer call on mobiles phones, that supposedly kills the person receiving the call by damaging their central nervous system and splattering the brain, have swept like wildfire among Karachiites.According to these rumors, which are believed to have originated in Sialkot, the victim receives a call on his or her mobile phone in which a red-colored apparition of a woman appears on the display screen. There have been claims in the Punjab that many deaths have taken place by unsuspecting cell phone owners.In Karachi, these rumors have taken on a whole new twist, as many now believe that besides death, this mysterious call can also result in impotency in men who receive the call, while the women end up becoming pregnant.According to the rumors, the cause of this supernatural call is that some mobile phone company set up a tower at a graveyard, which enraged the spirits, causing them to wreak havoc among mobile phone users.No matter how irrational these rumors may sound, they have sent a wave of fear among cell phone users in Karachi and many people have stopped receiving calls or SMS messages from numbers they are not familiar with.“I got very scared after hearing these rumors and stopped using my mobile phone,†said Bashir, a driver by occupation. “I do not want to end up dead just because I am using my mobile phone.â€ÂÂFor others, the scare was reminiscent of urban legends. “It is a very scary thought indeed. It reminded me of a horror movie that I once saw,†said an employee of a software house.The significance of the impact of the rumours can be gauged by the fact that mobile phone companies have started issuing clarifications to ease the prevailing panic among their customers.Random SMS messages have been making the rounds. “These messages are probably the handiwork of bored young people, who are doing it for the kicks,†said a graphics designer.
No cell virus: PTAMobile rumours from mosquesKARACHI: Rumours of a deadly virus being transmitted by via mobile phones have caused some mosques in the country’s biggest city, Karachi, to announce that people are dying of a mobile virus and that they should be wary of God’s wrath. Mobile service providers in Pakistan have been inundated by calls from subscribers worried by a message that they could die of a deadly virus being transmitted via their phones, reports Reuters.The prank is reminiscent of the plot of the Hollywood movie ‘The Ring’ in which people die within a week of watching a video. The virus in Pakistan is said to be transmitted through phones and has supposedly killed 20 people. Farah Hussain, a Warid Telecom spokeswoman, said that customer service centres had been inundated with panicked subscribers inquiring about the so-called virus. The cellular operators have moved to calm subscribers and said in a joint statement, “The rumours are baseless. They do not make any sense in technological terms.â€ÂÂStaff Report Adds: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and cellular phone service providers clarified that no virus that could cause damage to the human body had been transmitted through mobile phones anywhere in the country. In Lahore, Jinnah Hospital doctors confirmed that a deadly virus could not be transmitted through cell phones. Rumours of deaths because of these calls have also been making rounds across the country. The PTA said that computer viruses affected only software, not human beings and that no deaths could occur from these calls. Cell phone service providers stated that there was no scientific proof of such claims of deaths through calls. “There is no proof of a virus that can harm the human body after a person receives a call,†they said.Meanwhile, in Lahore, Jinnah Hospital doctors treated two patients claiming to be infected by the “deadly phone virus†after listening to phone calls on their cell phones. The patients said that they needed immediate medical attention. Tariq, one of the patients, said, “While talking to a relative, I couldn’t hear anything for a few moments. I think I’m infected with the mobile phone virus.†The doctor who treated him said they had found no signs of any thing wrong with him. Jinnah Hospital medical superintendent Dr Zahid Pervaiz said there was no method through which a cell phone could infect humans with a virus. He said people were being influenced by the “cell phone virus†rumour and there was no real disease.
