Ukrainians are warned about "dangerous perfume samples": the fake news has even reached the former head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration.

Ukrainians are warned about "dangerous perfume samples": the fake has even reached the former head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration

A fake threat is spreading in Ukraine regarding deadly dangers in mailboxes. Similar to many other false reports, it appears to have originated from our eastern neighbors.

As reported by Telegraph, in recent days, Ukrainians have started receiving identical messages in messaging apps and various chats, warning them about an alleged deadly threat. Supposedly, samples of perfumes from well-known brands have begun to be dropped into mailboxes, which could kill within a few inhalations.

However, there are no reliable sources confirming these messages. Furthermore, as Factcheck points out, there are only a limited number of toxins that can be deadly when inhaled, and their effects cannot go unnoticed.

Where it all started

It turns out a similar situation with these messages has arisen in Russia. Belarus and Kazakhstan have also been affected. Notably, reports in Russia began appearing even earlier than in Ukraine, which may indicate that this fake was brought to Ukraine from the east.

The fake was originally concocted back in 2001 and spread literally around the globe. It was debunked at the same time by Snopes. It was revealed that the first scary tales about deadly perfumes began circulating in mid-October 2001, a month after the September 11 attacks, supposedly originating from Glen Eagles Hospital. Since then, this information has been repeatedly published on various online forums. The original text read as follows:

"Seven women died after inhaling a free sample of perfume sent by mail. The product turned out to be toxic. If you receive free lotions, perfumes, diapers, etc. by mail, throw them away. The government fears it may be another terrorist act. They won't tell you about it in the news because they are afraid of creating panic or giving terrorists new ideas."

In the following years, similar messages with altered texts tailored to different countries have been reported in various parts of the world.

It is worth noting that the fake information was even picked up by the former head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, Oleksandr Stadnyk, who is now a serviceman in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He posted a video on "Facebook" where he warned about the deadly perfume samples in Ukrainians' mailboxes. However, this video is currently no longer available on Stadnyk's page.