Prank SMS? It could still be damaging!
By basqui
@basqui (3888)
Philippines
August 8, 2010 9:34pm CST
I received an SMS message from my cousin informing me that someone texted him that one of our friend got stabbed at early morning. I told him to confirm it if its true first because analyzing the text, it was not professionally written even in SMS. (The sender of the text said it's from school guidance office).
We contacted other friends for confirmation and they said it was just a prank from someone and that the incident isn't true. Whoah! Thought we have lost a friend there!
What could be on the minds of the prank texters? Why did they not think that even if it was meant to be a prank, it could have caused damage to several people. What if the prank news have been told to their parents and the parents had heart attack? Ergh, what is happening to these people?
7 people like this
13 responses
@czanwell_30 (717)
• Philippines
9 Aug 10
It's not alright for these people to have joked like that. There are jokes that can make relationship gay and happy and that is alright. But if you know who sent the message you really have to confront him and tell him that what he's doing is wrong. And that you are not consenting him to do the same pranking again or he will really loose a friend. When I had encountered the same experience I thought I will pass out and knowing that it was a joke I really got mad and confront the person who sent me. Good thing he never tried to do the same thing ever again.
2 people like this
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
9 Aug 10
Hi, basqui. People should never play around like this! This is dangerous. They should think twice and hard the impact it would have had on family members and close friends.
This could really upset them. I think that it is very rude to play a prank on someone especially about someone being stabbed!! This is not funny at all. If I was your cousin, I would change my phone number.
This could really upset them. I think that it is very rude to play a prank on someone especially about someone being stabbed!! This is not funny at all. If I was your cousin, I would change my phone number.1 person likes this
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
10 Aug 10
Hi, basqui. That is so messed up. Now they know good and better than to send the family a message like this. What the heck is wrong with them? This could make his family very worried and stressed out! This is no joking matter! How would these pranksters feel if someone played a vicious game on them like this???
Now the tables are turned..
Now the tables are turned..
@voldrox (7191)
• India
10 Aug 10
Hi basqui, normally we would receive such information through text messages if it were true but either ways this is a bad game. They just forward this same message to many people related, at a time. And yes you are right, they should not be playing games by trying to spread such ugly incidents.
1 person likes this
@avani26 (1518)
• India
9 Aug 10
That person has to be really sick to send such a prank which is of such serious nature. Incase the people who receive this message check with the family of your friend and they are not aware of such a prank just think about the feelings of the family members and what would go through their minds.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
9 Aug 10
This was not a Prank this was a cruel nasty joke. 
Had I received this type of message I would have gone bonkers and immediatly believed it was so, afterward I would have analyzed the message and done like you where I could then see it was not real as what public official would actually send a SMS message with this type of information.
However the person who sent it has no scruples and hope some day they get the same and maybe realized that it is no laughing matter.
Had I received this type of message I would have gone bonkers and immediatly believed it was so, afterward I would have analyzed the message and done like you where I could then see it was not real as what public official would actually send a SMS message with this type of information.
However the person who sent it has no scruples and hope some day they get the same and maybe realized that it is no laughing matter. @hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
10 Aug 10
I agree, and how horrible of anyone to think this was funny...
1 person likes this
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
11 Aug 10
They are just out to have fun, in a senseless way!! Though it might be a prank, but it can be fatal if the SMSes were to reach the parents of those 'victims'..
Those ple whom started it off does not know the seriousness of it, and to make them learn their lesson, receivers of such SMSes should report to the police, to play along with those pranksters!! haha
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
9 Aug 10
hi basqui this reminds me of someone who thought it would be funny to send a house on fire c all to the fire department and have them drive up to an apartment that is very obviously not on fire and the people are shocked to see the fire engines come to their apartment. this happen to me and neither I or the firemen were at all amused at this. On the other side of town a house burned almost completely down due to this unit having been deployed to my apt complex. Prank sms are also not funny as this shock kind of message cou ld send a person with heart trouble to the emergency room. Those are mean evil messages and should never be sent. I do not know what possesses someone to do that, they must surely not think of the bad consequences to that action at all.
1 person likes this
@basqui (3888)
• Philippines
9 Aug 10
Oh that was not a good prank involving the fire department as it compromised the other house actually on fire. So what did they do with the prank caller?
Maybe these kids now think it's funny but it's not. We were thankful that it was just a prank but we are enraged that they killed our friend in the text message.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
9 Aug 10
I wouldn'tcall that a prank i'd call it pure cruel meaness. It takes a sicko to pull something like that. It could have caused alot of damage . people sre nuts that pull crap like this.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
10 Aug 10
There are some idiots out there! First of all what a tasteless thing to joke about; these people have too much time on their hands! There has been fools phoning our emergency number similar to US’s 911 and asking stupid questions presumably for a sick laugh! There should be heavy penalties for folks who pull stupid pranks like that!
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
10 Aug 10
I've been involved with several pranks throughout my life, but I've never been involved in a prank that could have honestly been damaging to someone. I think that whoever wrote this text message should be prosecuted because of the fact that it could have been very harmful to many people. I'm glad that you thought enough to make sure that the message that you were receiving was true or, in this case, nothing but a prank.
@nancy0618 (477)
• Philippines
9 Aug 10
that is not a very good joke, if that happened to me i will get angry, why would someone will do that, maybe this person have nothing to do with his life at all, ar maybe he just lacks attention of other people, no wonder why he is doing this
1 person likes this
@nerijorge (53)
• Philippines
16 Dec 12
I think that these people have other motives like they could be thieves. You know when people became panic they could just go out without properly securing the doors and windows. They would take advantage of this situation. Well, like you said it could also mean life. I too would have heart attack if I received this kind of message.
