Malformed spam-fax ignites bomb panic at Boston bank

OK. Because that whole Mike Figgis terror scare story was bogus, I feel like I owe you at least one true life internet terror funny. This one's better, too, 'cause it's Boston. Cue Keystone Kops music. Aaaaand, snip:

In a scene reminiscent of the Cartoon Network bomb scare that paralyzed the Boston area in January, police shut down a strip mall yesterday in this small western suburb after employees at a Bank of America branch mistook a botched fax for a bomb threat.

Frustrated shop owners said the branch overreacted to the strange fax, which turned out to be an in-house marketing document sent by the bank's corporate office.

"The women at the bank should have handled it a little better," said Nick Markos, owner of Townhouse Pizza and Roast Beef, who estimated that he had lost $1,000 to $1,200 because of the lunch-hour evacuation. "She blew it all out of proportion, and all of us business owners had to pay for it."

Link (thanks, alxrosen)

Previously on BoingBoing:

Boston drops charges against Mooninite terror cell leaders

LED ad campaign ignites terrorism scare in Boston

Boston Mooninite installer arrested

Boston Channel photoshops Mooninite LED signs

Video of Mooninite menaces

Mark on ABC news about Mooninite devices

Boston LED terror scare: a message to the media

Mooninite response explained in an old Peanuts comic

Mooninite on the Haunted Mansion

ATHF invades Boston -- the game

Public game involves hidden blinking LED signs

• [omnius]

  You know you have to be careful with this kind of thing in general. Security of faxes has become an issue when organizations are deciding whether to go all-email or keep faxes, and legal requirements actually have a role in the decision. When you’re using a free fax service like http://faxfiend.com you need to make sure your file is compatible and there aren’t any macros which can result in just this kind of behavior. I have had to send a fax multiple times before through services which weren’t fully compatible.

• [Takuan]

  I have an idea; need a fax machine that uses toner though: load a toner cartridge with a chemical that is highly reactive. Fax a sheet of black paper to the target machine. When the chemical-impregnated toner prints out on a blank sheet over a wide surface area (enough to oxidize rapidly)viola! instant fire. Send it when no one is there.

• [Antinous]

  May I mention that this incident happened in the town in which I grew up.

• [Takuan]

  you’re Bostonese?

• [Antinous]

  Twenty five miles from, but in those days, even five miles was a huge journey. It was a lot like the Shire. And I don’t mean Buckland.