Kidney Stealing Hoax
Summary:Email warns that medically trained criminals are stealing kidneys from living victims to sell on the black market (
Full commentary below.)
Status:False
Example:(Submitted, April 2006)
THIS IS TRUE STORY, RING THE BOTTOM NUMBER IF YOU DONT BELIEVE
IT!! Medical Centre phone number at the end of this story is
real. This guy went out on a Saturday night a few weeks ago to a
party. He was having a good time and had a couple of beers and
some girl seemed to like him and invited him to go to another
party. He quickly agreed and decided to go along with her. She took
him to a party in some apartment and they continued to drink, and
even got involved with some drug (unknown).
The next thing he knew, he woke up completely naked in a bathtub
filled with ice. He was still feeling the effects of the drugs,
but looked around to see he was alone. He looked down at his
chest, which had CALL 000 or YOU'LL DIE" written on it with
lipstick. He saw a phone was on a stand next to the tub so he
picked it up and dialled. He explained to the EMS operator what the
situation was and that he didn't know where he was, what he took,
or why he was really calling. She advised him to get out of the
tub. He did, and he appeared normal, so she told him to check his
back. He did, he found two 9 inch slits on his lower back. She
told him to get back into the tub immediately, and they sent a
rescue team over.
Apparently, after being examined, he found out more of what had
happened. His kidneys were stolen. They were worth $10,000 each
in the black market.Several guesses are in order: The second
party was a sham, the people involved had to be at least medical
students and it was not just recreational drugs he was given.
Regardless, he is currently in the hospital on a life support,
awaiting a spare kidney. The University of Sydney in conjunction
with the Royal Prince Alfred hospital is conducting tissue
research to match the victim with a donor.
I wish to warn you about a new crime ring that is targeting
business travellers. This ring is well organized and well funded,
has very skilled personnel and is currently operating in most major
cities around the world and recently very active in Sydney . The
crime begins when a business traveller goes to a lounge for a
drink at the end of the work day. A person in the bar walks up as
they sit alone and offers to buy them a drink. The last thing the
traveller remembers until they wake up in a hotel room bathtub,
their body submerged to their neck in ice, is sipping that drink.
There is a note taped to the wall instructing them not to move
and to call 000. A phone is on the small table next to the
bathtub for them to call. The business traveller calls 000 who
have been quite familiar with this crime. The business traveller
is instructed by the 000 operator to very slowly and carefully
reach behind them and feel there i s a tube protruding from the
back. The business traveller finds the tube and answers "YES".
The 000 operator tells them to remain still, having already sent
paramedics to help. The operator knows that both of the
traveller's kidneys had been harvested.
This is not a scam or out of science fiction novel. It is real.
It is documented and confirmable. If you travel or someone close
to you travels, please be careful. Sadly,this is very true. My
friend's husband is a Sydney EMT and they have received alerts
regarding this crime ring. It is to be taken very seriously. The
daughter of a friend of a fire-fighter had this happen to her.
Skilled doctors are performing these crimes! (which, by the way
have been highly noted in the Brisbane area). Additionally, the
military has received alerts regarding this. I REALLY WANT AS
MANY PEOPLE TO SEE THIS AS POSSIBLE SO PLEASE BOUNCE THIS TO
WHOEVER YOU CAN. (Person's Name) DML/Lab Administration Medical
Manager Research And Development [CONTACT DETAILS REMOVED]
PLEASE forward this to everyone you know
Commentary:
This classic hoax claims that a sinister gang of medically trained criminals are out and about harvesting kidneys from unwitting donors for subsequent sale on the black market.
The tale has been around in one form or another for many years, but email and the Internet have given it new life and the perfect vehicle for propagation. And what a great little tale it is! A mini-horror story right there in your email in-box! It's not surprising that this email hoax has proved so resilient and enduring. It's the sort of tale that cries "share me!" Hence a piece of junk mail that should ideally be cast into binary oblivion once and for all keeps on keeping on. Versions of the message have been travelling via email and other means since at least 1997 and have been set in several countries.
According to the message, hapless partygoers or business travellers are drugged and subsequently wake up in a bathtub of ice and discover that their kidneys have been removed. They are warned by way of a written message left by the criminals that they will die if they do not seek help immediately. However, the tale is purely a work of fiction. In spite of the longevity of the rumour, no credible reports of such incidents have ever been recorded.
According to America's National Kidney Foundation:
A persistent rumor that has been circulating for the past ten years has recently been reborn on the Internet: a business traveler has a drink with a stranger and wakes up in a tub full of ice, minus one or both kidneys.
The foundation has received calls from concerned business travelers who have been warned by their travel agents to beware of the 'crime ring' when traveling. "It's an urban myth run amok," says Fred Herbert, chairman of the National Kidney Foundation. "There is no evidence that such activity has ever occurred in the United States," says Mr. Herbert.
Although this story is unfounded and untrue, many who hear it believe that this could really happen. "It is unfortunate when inaccurate information is reported about the organ donor process," says Mr. Herbert. "In truth, transplanting a kidney from a living donor involves numerous compatibility tests that must be performed before the kidney is removed. So it's highly unlikely that a gang could operate in secrecy to recover organs that would be viable for a transplant," he explains.
One early version of the hoax claimed that a kidney stealing gang was operating in the New Orleans area of the United States. However, the New Orleans Police Department
issued the following statement denying the claims.
January 30, 1997
Internet Subscribers: Over the past six months the New Orleans Police Department has received numerous inquiries from corporations and organizations around the United States warning travelers about a well organized crime ring operating in New Orleans. This information alleges that this ring steals kidneys from travelers, after they have been provided alcohol to the point of unconsciousness.
After an investigation into these allegations, the New Orleans Police Department has found them to be COMPLETELY WITHOUT MERIT AND WITHOUT FOUNDATION.
Even if the tale was true, one wonders why criminals unscrupulous enough to steal a person's kidneys for profit would go to the trouble of trying to save the life of their victim by leaving him or her in an ice bath. Dead men tell no tales.
Many thousands of people around the planet are waiting for organ transplants. The Kidney Foundation
notes that this ridiculous hoax may "affect the public's willingness to become organ donors". Please do not forward it.
References:
The National Kidney Foundation Dispels Rumors About Illegally Harvested Kidneys
Organ and Tissue Donation-The Kidney Myth
The Kidney Thieves
Write-up by Brett M.Christensen
