Are criminals hiding HIV needles under gas pump handles? Fact Check

ByCraig Haley

Warnings are circulating that claim criminals are leaving HIV infected needles in the handles of gas pumps.

FALSE

Such warnings have been spreading in one format or another since at least 2000, circulated initially through chain emails before morphing into social media. However, despite spreading for so long, we are yet to see an example of this warning that successfully provides reputable evidence that such a crime is happening, or has ever happened.

Back in 2000 the warning that HIV infected needles were being surreptitiously being hidden inside gas pumps apparently came from “Capt. Abraham Sands” from the Jacksonville Police Department, as per an example below.

Please read and forward to anyone you know who drives.
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 of at least 12 others in various states around the country. It is believed that these may be copycat incidents due to someone reading about the crimes or seeing them reported on the television. At this point no one has been arrested and catching the perpetrator(s) has become our top priority.
Shockingly, of the 17 people who where stuck, eight have tested HIV positive and because of the nature of the disease, the others could test positive in a couple years.
Evidently the consumers go to fill their car with gas, and when picking up the pump handle get stuck with the infected needle. IT IS IMPERATIVE TO CAREFULLY CHECK THE HANDLE of the gas pump each time you use one. LOOK AT EVERY SURFACE YOUR HAND MAY TOUCH, INCLUDING UNDER THE HANDLE.
If you do find a needle affixed to one, immediately contact your local police department so they can collect the evidence.
********* PLEASE HELP US BY MAINTAINING A VIGILANCE AND BY FORWARDING THIS EMAIL TO ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO DRIVES. THE MORE PEOPLE WHO KNOW OF THIS THE BETTER PROTECTED WE CAN ALL BE. **********

So many worried email users had contacted the police department about the hoax that the Jacksonville police had to debunk the hoax, pointing out that “Capt. Abraham Sands” didn’t actually exist, and neither did any reports of such a crime occurring.


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Since then this popular online hoax has failed to disappear, gaining traction every other year or so either by email or more recently on Facebook, attributing the crime as popular in various areas across the US and Europe, and falsely attributing the warning as coming from various police departments across the globe. A 2017 version of the hoax reads as follows –

So HIV infected needles in gas pumps is now alarming sign… Wtf. Please look before filling you’re tanks up they are putting infected HIV needles In the gas stations plz warn every friend of yours and family members. Guys plz share share share

and

Please look before gassing up there putting infected HIV needles In the gas stations plz warn every friend of yours and family members. Guys plz share share share

It should be noted that while no incidents of HIV infected needles in gas pumps has ever been reported, a police investigation into a similar incident happened quite recently in 2017 when a man claimed to have been injured by a needle in a gas pump, albeit there were no traces of HIV.

While many different variants of this rumour have circulated in the past, in true urban legend style the incident always occurred to a “friend of a friend” or “my uncle’s neighbours niece” and so forth. No definite cases have ever surfaced to highlight that this is a real type of crime, must less a trending or emerging one as states in these warnings. It’s a hoax and should not be circulated as true.

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