HIV needles in fuel pumps –> This is the NEWEST scam at gas stations?

Hardly, because this post was a long-running favorite in 2017!

And again we receive requests for a “warning” on Facebook. This supposed warning draws attention to a “new scam” in which an HIV-infected syringe is said to have been jammed into the nozzles at gas stations.

It's all fake (except for the photo itself, but we'll go into that in more detail later) - but we're still receiving inquiries about the post from this French Facebook page and it's already been shared almost 180,000 times:

Image in plain text:

SPLIT!! Attention ⚠ this is the new trick at the gas stations. They put HIV-infected syringes into the hand pump. Pay attention and share!

Sharing can save lives!

Stories of HIV-contaminated needles continue to circulate on the Internet. However, most of them are fake news and this one also falls into the fake category.

Since June 2017 we have been receiving repeated inquiries about this story, especially from uncertain users from German-speaking countries. This is not least thanks to Facebook's automatic translation system, because this image does not come from Germany at all.

Fact check

There is no new “thing”, there is no widespread phenomenon. The dynamics of such a fake are now clear to all of us. Therefore, we look at the origin of the image: The photo is real. It comes from the USA, more precisely it was taken at a gas station on Alessandro Boulevard in Moreno Valley. It was Jose Medina who wanted to refuel his vehicle on his way to work on May 22, 2017, but was injured by this needle. Medina then drove straight to the hospital to be checked for infections. The police were also informed and the incident was also discussed on Fox11 . His daughter Jacqueline Medina initially published this photo to urge caution. What she couldn't have guessed at the time: The picture would gain its own momentum and be dramatized by third parties by publishing the story in other places and expanding it to include the HIV component.

A hoax has arisen!

After a while, this hoax reached Jacqueline Medina, who then became irritated and contacted Snopes (US fact-checker) and reported the story there so that Snopes could clear it up [ 1 ]. The image and the hoax have now traveled across the USA and were also published in Florida as a warning, indicating that this needle had been found in the area around Jacksonville (Florida). According to Snopes, it is a chain letter in which an (apparently non-existent) Captain Abraham Sands of the Jacksonville, Florida Police Department warns of numerous infected needles in several states:

My name is Captain Abraham Sands of the Jacksonville, Florida Police Department. I have been asked by state and local authorities to write this email in order to get the word out to car drivers of a very dangerous prank that is occurring in numerous states. Some person or persons have been affixing hypodermic needles to the underside of gas pump handles. These needles appear to be infected with HIV positive blood. In the Jacksonville area alone there have been 17 cases of people being stuck by these needles over the past five months. We have verified reports from at least 12 others in various states around the country.

And now?

José Medina has now received the test results from the hospital. His daughter posted on Facebook that the first results were negative, meaning there was no HIV infection. Nevertheless, further tests are carried out to be absolutely sure.

My father's lab work came back negative, but he will be getting follow up labs just to continue making sure it stays negative and additional testing to make sure he is cleared of everything.

She also states that she has removed the original photo and replaced it with another photo with a name tag because she fears that this image would otherwise spread further false reports. Well, we have reasonable doubts at this point as to whether this idea will work.

So, to conclude, to say it clearly again:

The picture is real. However, this incident only happened once - in May 2017 in California. No infections were found in the injured person. Not more. Out of. The rest is a chain letter and fake! Thanks for sharing this article.

Additional info!

The story about the HIV needle in the pump nozzle reflects the classic HIV fake narrative. The hysteria this creates is problematic because it gives a false picture of how HIV is infected. We always recommend that you visit German Aids Help

And the German Aids Association writes about the transmission routes:

HIV is relatively difficult to transmit. There is only a risk of infection if infectious body fluids come into contact with wounds or mucous membranes. These body fluids primarily include blood, semen, vaginal fluid and the fluid film on the mucous membrane of the rectum.