Nigerians reassured over 'killer phone number' fears

[Umbrage]

Nigeria's authorities have been forced to reassure the public that a mobile phone number cannot kill, after rumours were spread by text messages.

Viral text messages had warned that several people had died when they answered calls with the ID 09141.

The regulatory body, the Nigerian Communications Commission, said this was "unimaginable" and "unscrupulous persons" were spreading fear.

A BBC reporter was unable to get through to the number.
'Gullible people'

The text messages gave conflicting accounts of the number of people killed when they answered the call - some put the death toll at seven while others put it at 10.

"Technically, it is not possible for such a thing to happen. It is therefore unimaginable that somebody will die while receiving a call," commission spokesman Reuben Muoka said.

"It is only very gullible people that will believe such a rumour."

Other messages that have caused panic in the past include claims that acid rain from seasonal dust storms can burn people alive, the AP news agency reports.

Poor education and superstitious beliefs lead some Nigerians to take the messages seriously, correspondents say.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14938984

These are the same people who scam dumb westerners with poorly written emails btw. Nigeria must be a paradise for trolls.

[Spectrum]

We should help educate these people by sending them more money.

[Queequeg]

Have you heard you can get pregnant from being near men that have recently masturbated. Their sperm will climb through their clothes and fly through the air just to climb up inside your vagina.

*Disclaimer* You can also get AIDS from gay people this way.

[Humanicide]

lol, these people are under-educated and we are laughing at them because of it.

This place is fun.

[Cargést]

Yep, it damn well is.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go laugh at crippled people because they're immobile, and then annihilate an entire ethnicity for being subpar.

[Umbrage]

lol, these people are under-educated and we are laughing at them because of it.

This place is fun.

Nobody suggested westerners are any better. Do you know anything about the AIDS scares of the eighties and early nineties? Imagine how dumb someone has to be to need a soap series to inform them about a deadly disease their children might get. Stupidity doesn't discriminate and it's always lurking around the corner no matter how highly educated someone is.

Yep, it damn well is.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go laugh at crippled people because they're immobile, and then annihilate an entire ethnicity for being subpar.

Sure you will. As soon as you get your Paladin to level 70 and have enough WoW credits to buy a golden dragonslayer sword..

[Humanicide]

lol, these people are under-educated and we are laughing at them because of it.

This place is fun.

Nobody suggested westerners are any better. Do you know anything about the AIDS scares of the eighties and early nineties? Imagine how dumb someone has to be to need a soap series to inform them about a deadly disease their children might get. Stupidity doesn't discriminate and it's always lurking around the corner no matter how highly educated someone is.

Yeah the AIDS scares were a bit more serious than a killer phone number; but I agree the majority of people need to be spoon fed that info or else they'd inject their kids with AIDS needles if it helped them concentrate on schoolwork.

[Eater of Penis]

I have one Nigerian in my basement !