Warning needle sticking
Public Service NOTICE from TECA

Please note this is a hoax email received below. We have received this information in an email today and felt the need to share it with you, to help you.

Our deepest apologies to anyone affected by this article being placed. When placed it was intended to help as a public service of importance. It will be removed in due time.

Description
There have been a number of different versions of this chain letter reported to Sophos. Some versions of the chain letter claim that visitors to a cinema in Australia have been infected, but this has been confirmed as a hoax by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service. So if you receive this or a similar message, please investigate it rather than assuming it to be true.

A few weeks ago in a movie theatre in Melbourne a person sat on something that was poking out of one of the seats. When she got up to see what it was she found a needle sticking out of the seat with a note attached saying a quote; You have just been infected by HIV quote;.

The Disease control Centre in Melbourne reports many similar incidents have occurred in many other Australian cities recently. All tested needles are HIV Positive.

The Centre also reports that needles have been found in the cash dispensers in ATMs. We ask everyone to use extreme caution when faced with this kind of situation.

All public chairs/seats should be inspected with vigilance and caution before use. 17 people have been tested positive in the Western suburbs alone in the last 2 months!!! A careful visual inspection should be enough.

In addition

They ask that each of you pass this message along to all members of your family and your friends of the potential danger. We all have to be careful at public places! This is very important. Just think about saving a life of someone even you don't know by forwarding this message. Please, take a few seconds of your time to pass it along.

End hoax article

Recommendations from TECA

However that said we should be careful in these modern times and a few tips are below to help you. When you read the article you may think this cannot happen to me. YOU would be wrong as it happened last year right across the road from our office on the sunny laid back Gold Coast in Queensland. So please take this matter seriously.

When out shopping for clothes handbags or just about anything please check your immediate surroundings. GET the shop assistant or security to check the object your buying this is especially relevant in a number of shops otherwise they will call security on you as our research has found they think your trying to steal the item even when just looking. Do not just assume that the pin prick was a staple or pin from the shop. Another thing to think about is walking through crowds give yourself and other people space.

1. In crowds be careful of bumping people / bags.
2. In parks check playground equipment for foreign objects.
3. When excersising be aware of your suroundings not just the ground.
4. Look before you put your hand in boxes E.G. Letterbox, Meter Box etc.
5. Going out arrive early to enable a check of the area for objects of danger.
6. Check trolleys, baskets, strollers, cars, equipment etc. Even the ones for hire.
7. When looking for a place to rent or buy check the area for objects of danger.
8. Walking through an open area if a person crowds you try to avoid them.

Contact info for more information on this or other security threats

Please ONLY contact the red cross for help if needed