Share this story!            

The Grim Reaper has a phone number: ‘Death call from the dark side’ spooks Karachi

By Bilal Farooqi

KARACHI: 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.”

For 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.

Home | Karachi

Share this story!