Superwall Spammers Perpetrate Cruel Hoax
This picture is being sent to Facebook members via the Superwall application with the following message:
Dear All,
Alexandra came out of a fire alive, but now has to fight for her life and a normal future. She is 14 months old and she has burnt skin all over her body, damage facial bones (as a result of very high temperature). She does not have half of her face. She is in hospital in Krakow – Poland and one of the best specialist is looking after her. However she still has to go through many surgeries and then long rehab. Unfortunately her parents do not have any more money.
Therefore we are asking for your help. For each forwarded email her parents will get 3 cents. Please help them and forward that email to as many people as you can!
You can make a difference!
The tragedy is that this is based on a true story.
The girl’s name is actually Olenka Kuczma, and she survived a house fire in Poland back in 2005.
The statement that 3 cents will be donated from every email forwarded is totally false.
I don’t know what sort of a kick the morons who actually started this get by doing it, but it is a cruel hoax.
I really can’t say much for the people who forward it either, whether on Facebook, or via email!
Do they believe in the Easter Bunny too? I wish that people would stop and think before they send this stuff out.
It qualifies as Facebook spam of the worst kind in my book.
There is no one tracking the emails, there is no one donating money to the cause each time the message is forwarded! Full Stop!
If they really want to help this family, they need to dig into their own pockets and start a legitimate appeal.
I would have no trouble supporting this, and would help promote it.
One of the most common questions that I have been asked by different people is ‘why am I losing friends on Facebook?’
If they’re the ones who send stuff like this out, it’s no wonder.
Stuff like this helps nobody, least of all the victim.
For a full report on this hoax, please go to Snopes.com
What To Do When You Get These:
A lot of people get caught up in the emotion of what they see in front of them when they receive a message like this.
Their first impulse is to send it on, fast, because they simply take the message on face value when they see it.
I can understand this, even though I wish that they would think before they acted.
I’ve received several of these, and I send a message to the people concerned, including the evidence that I have that it is a hoax.
In this case, a link to Snopes.com. I also state the fact that I am willing to help if I can, and that we can all do something.
What I Am Going To Do Next:
I have been told that there is a bank account that people can donate money to. Once I verify this, I am going to publish details on how people can REALLY help – by digging into their pockets.
Like to join me?
If you are aware of any appeal that has been set up, please leave details in the ‘comments’ section below.
That is one of the most terrible things I’ve ever heard of. How aweful!
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Yes, it is shocking – both from the point of view of what initially happened to the baby, and actions of those responsible for the emails.
Allan, I have Snopes bookmarked on my browser. Like you, I’ve never understood why people forward these heart-wrenching stories without bothering to check if they’re legitimate. I used to just delete, but now I check Snopes and reply to all with the results. Whether on Facebook or in our personal email, we have a responsibility to make sure we’re not perpetuating false information. Thanks for posting about this.
Hi Allan,
This is another sick and perverted effort by those whose convoluted minds cannot distinguish between a spam and an outright inhuman act.
The information you provided is a valuable one that could prevent this abomination from victimizing more people.
Thanks to you and for other similar info in the past; and perhaps also in the future. It’s hard to see this fraud stop here with so many cyber criminals lurking and waiting for a bunch of people to scam. –Durano, done!
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G’day Shari,
People get worked up when they see a picture like that and make the emotional response of hitting ‘forward’ without thinking..
Because it is a real life situation, I used the photo here and am hoping to post details about how people can help…
Greetings Durano,
It would be nice if people would stop and thinkbefore sending this stuff on. Hopefully posts like these can help prepare people for when the messages land in their inbox…
Cheers!
According to the site linked by snopes (a Polish TV site) here is the banking information, obviously in Polish, if anyone can interpret.
More importantly, since this originated in 2005 making the information three years old, the question should be what is her current status?
Thanks for that Christine.
I’m still chasing it up to find the current status and verify that the account details are valid, as well as who is conducting the appeal.
Once I am 100% sure that the details are correct I will publish them.
Cheers
I forward it sometimes. But I erase the part where it says “forward and it’ll donate 3 cents” and change it to “please include her in your thoughts and prayers”.
Hi Sheila,
That’s a compromise that cuts out the hoax bit, and is to be commended in that sense.
What I would prefer to see is people receiving stuff like this is contacting those who sent it, and telling them the real story.
That’s the only way to stop it, and then we may be able to come up with a way of helping the real cases, like Olenka Kuczma, rather than them momentarily being the object of pity.
Cheers, and thanks for the comment,
Allan
Dear Mr. Cockerill;
My name is Teresa Vandal, and I am the daughter of two Polish Immigrants that came to the US back in 1951; (the Catholic Deacon in this article is my father: http://www.eastbayri.com/story/283083944040766.php ); and they now live in RI. My father read the article and told me the address at the bottom of the article is indeed a legitimate address, but because the article is three years old; other than praying for little Olenka; then the wisest steps to take would be to try and write to the address at the bottom introducing yourself and asking for an update. Poles are generally very friendly people by nature, so you should get a genial response.
Mrs. Teresa Vandal nee Dadlez
Bryan, OH.
Hi i would be more than happy to just get their address and mail them money out of my pocket. I just can’t seem to find the address anyone else know what it is????
Hi. I’m trying to find this information. There are several places including here here that lists addresses.
I’m trying to locate up-to-date information. It seems that the last update was in 2006.
I’ll post here if I find anything.
I too sent the email on with the sentence about “3 cents being donated” deleted. Then I remembered to check it out on snopes. HOWEVER, I am AMAZED that if this happened in 2005 WHY is there NO UPDATES to be found ANYWHERE???? C’mon Media you’re slacking off. This is a human interest story – let’s hear some great news updates about little Olenka – she would be almost 6 yrs old by now.
I just tried to comment and it was destroyed so I will try again.Since little Olenka would be almost 6 yrs old by now – why are there NO updates about her to be found anywhere? The Media is slacking off. This is a powerful human interest story and if it is true why NO UPDATES ANYWHERE?