He Sent a 'Black Fax' — But the Receiver Machine Caught Fire? This Is the Crazy Fax Prank

He Sent a 'Black Fax' — But the Receiver Machine Caught Fire? This Is the Crazy Fax Prank. Imagine receiving a fax — a single sheet of black paper. Soon after, your fax machine starts to heat up, the toner runs out, and your bill skyrockets. This is the 'Black Fax,' a retro prank that can still cause big losses. We uncover its history, how it works, and why it's going viral again in the digital era.. What Is Black Fax? A Retro Prank That Still Kills Do you remember the fax machine? Those machines used to make a sound like "ngeeee… ngooo…", almost like a robot smoking a cigarette. But have you ever received a fax with a completely black page? Like a dark tunnel in the middle of a forest. That's black fax — a cruel prank that has existed since the 1980s. A black fax isn't just sending a regular black page. When the recipient's fax machine tries to print the page, it uses a lot of toner or ink. Worse, it can heat up the thermal paper until it catches fire. The original purpose was to make the victim lose money — fax toner was expensive back then — and to deny service like a cyber attack, but in physical form . But how can a single black page become a weapon? The answer lies in the way faxes compress data. Faxes use an extremely efficient protocol — a completely black page is compressed very tightly. So, a short call can "print" dozens of black pages. Crazy, right? Why Can Black Fax Cause the Machine to 'Burn'? You must be wondering — how can a fax machine catch fire because of black? Actually, it has to do with thermal paper . Back in the day, many fax machines used heat-sensitive paper. When the print head gets hot, it burns the paper to create an image. If a full black page is sent, the print head has to work hard — it becomes excessively hot. In extreme cases, thermal paper can burn, the machine becomes too hot, and internal components get damaged. There are reports of users who received a black fax and then their fax machine started smoking. Not a myth — this is real. In addition, fax machines that use toner like photocopiers will run out of toner in an instant. One black fax can consume an entire toner cartridge worth hundreds of ringgit. The victim not only loses money but also the machine gets damaged. The History of Black Fax: From Office Pranks to Cyber Attacks Black fax is not a new thing. Since fax became a main business tool from the 1980s to early 2000s , this prank has been a problem. Bored office workers, university students, or anyone with a fax machine could pull it off. The method? Easy — send a fax with a fully black page. However, there have been more serious cases. Competing companies used black fax to attack their rivals. They sent hundreds of black faxes automatically — like a DDoS attack, but for faxes. This is called fax bombing . The victim would receive dozens of black pages, the toner would run out, the machine would be damaged, and the business would be disrupted. Although the digital era has advanced, faxes are still used in certain industries such as healthcare and law. Therefore, black fax remains relevant. In fact, there have been recent cases — in 2023 — where a doctor's office in America received a black fax that brought down their system for a whole day. How Does Black Fax Work Technically? Want to know the secret? Faxes use a protocol called ITU-T T.4 — it compresses images to reduce transmission time. A completely black image like a black fax is very easy to compress — the RLE Run-Length Encoding algorithm just records "black along the line" and repeats it. So, a single black page can become very small data — 1 KB or less. This means that a short fax call — 10 seconds — can produce 100 black pages at the recipient's end. The receiving machine will print all those pages using toner or thermal paper. You'll run out of money, paper, and the machine might even break. As a comparison, regular faxes use white pages with black text — larger data, so longer calls. Black fax is the opposite: a short call, big impact. How to Protect Yourself from Black Fax If You Still Use Fax Even though you may no longer use fax, some people still do — especially government offices or clinics. To avoid becoming a victim of a black fax? Follow these tips: 1. Install a fax filter — Some modern machines have a feature called "black fax detection." When a black image is detected, it will discard or block the message. 2. Use e-fax — It works like email. A black fax won't print paper; you'll just see a digital image. 3. Limit the number of pages — Set the machine to accept a maximum of 10 pages per call. If more, reject them. 4. Use cheap toner — But don't forget, a black fax will still cost you time and paper. Why Is Black Fax Going Viral Again Now? In the social media era, old things become new again. Videos of black fax on TikTok or Twitter entertain netizens. Some try to prank their friends using e-fax. Although paper is no longer used, the prank becomes nostalgia. In addition, the denial-of-service version of this physical attack reminds us how fragile old communication systems are. In an era of advanced cyber attacks, black fax becomes an ironic symbol — outdated technology that can still cause victims. So, next time if your fax suddenly sounds like it's about to fly, don't be surprised. Someone might be sending a black fax. Or maybe — you're the victim of the worst retro prank in history. Conclusion: Black Fax — More Than Just a Prank Black fax is not just an office joke. It's an attack that can cause financial loss and damage to machines. Although the fax era is fading, this prank continues to live on in digital form and nostalgia. So, remember our advice: Never play a black fax — unless you want to become the number one enemy of someone who still uses fax. Or, if you become a victim, don't forget — there are ways to protect yourself. Faxes may be outdated, but their impact is still real. --- Reference: Black fax — Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black fax