The Stolen Kidney Tale Is A Myth

Last significant update: 16 October 1999

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

Thanks to Jan Berry for first bringing this to our attention on 15 April, 1998.

This is pure myth; the best way to prove this is to have a look at what the National Kidney Foundation (leaving our site) has to say about it.

So ignore bunk like what follows -- it's total garbage.

> VERY IMPORTANT
> 
> This guy went out on a Saturday night a few weeks ago, to a party. He was
> having a good time, 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  other drugs (unknown which). 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
> WILL DIE" written on it in lipstick. He saw a phone was on a stand next to
> the tub, so he picked it up and dialed. 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 she asked him to look
> himself over in the mirror. He did, and appeared normal, so she told him to
> check his back. He did, only to find two 9 inch slits on his lower back. She
> told him to get back in 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 are worth 10,000 dollars each on the
> black market. (I was unaware this even existed.) 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 life support, awaiting a
> spare kidney.

Blah blah blah; it goes on. But I'll spare you the pain of wading through the drivel.

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/kidney.html)
For virus or hoax info, please see our main page (http://www.umich.edu/~virus-busters/) or go to another reputable site, like DataFellows (leaving our site).

   -BPB

visits to this page since 16 October, 1999 15:43 EDT