Some hoaxes are like herpes: they keep coming back.

A fake remains a fake / Screenshot by mimikama.org
A fake remains a fake / Screenshot by mimikama.org

“The police are warning nationwide about so-called free goodies, do NOT accept them!”

...so it is claimed again. Specifically, it's about free key fobs that are supposedly given away at gas stations. The trailers are supposed to contain a chip that criminals can use to “track” the recipient to find out where they live and when they are not at home so that they can then break in.

Since 2012

We have been reporting on this news again and again since 2012!

It is a FALSE REPORT!

This hoax is a classic that has been around in various forms since 2008. It was probably created in English-speaking countries and was still distributed via email at the time. Today it is spread across social networks.

Background of the legend

The gas station chain Caltex (a brand of the US oil company Chevron) distributed key rings at its gas stations in South Africa in 2008 to advertise its premium diesel fuel. The first rumors soon emerged about what mysterious functions it might have. This gave rise to the legends that emerged in the USA in 2010, and over time they also made it to Germany and Austria.


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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )