Guatemala suffered the rise of a new form of assaults in 2008. The theft of laptops, Blackberries and mobile phones, attacks that left the victim either wounded or dead. In the eye of a passive society, we needed to generate media attention about the issue and create awareness in the minds of potential buyers about stolen electronics on the black market, and that behind that low price they paid for the item, there could be a person who paid for it with their lives. We sent a viral email to create public awareness and get media attention. This email was written by a fictional character, a man, murdered for his laptop. The email was sent from the address frombeyondthegrave@gmail.com. In this email, the character explained to the reader why and how he was murdered. He let the reader know that the computer in which they read the email could have been his and asked them in a conciliatory tone to discard the idea of buying stolen electronics. Finally, he asked the reader to go to lalaptopolavida.blogspot.com. The news reached the media, the major news channels, radio, and press, taking the message from the original email to more than 2 million people.

We sent an e-mail, written by a fictional character, who died from wounds he suffered at the moment he was robbed and stripped of his laptop. In this e-mail, he told the facts in detail, even his death and how he had not been able to return home to his family. He also asked the reader to stop purchasing stolen electronics and invited them to go to the blog, lalaptopolavida.blogspot.com. This blog contained safety tips, stories of assault victims and related news.

The e-mail spread throughout the whole country, until it reached the media- all the major news channels, radio stations, and national newspapers. Noti Siete, the highest rated news station in Guatemala, dedicated a special five minute report that was transmitted in both time slots. It was estimated that the total audience of the media reached by the message of the original e-mail was over 2 million people. Both the press and television made special reports on the matter, consulting with the authorities on the facts and figures, and by going to the black market to show the obvious amount of stolen merchandise.