Scam?

May. 20th, 2004 07:04 pm
deathboy: (Default)
[personal profile] deathboy
Haven't a clue if this is real or not, but it was interesting enough to merit posting either way.

The upshot is that men have been approaching women in dodgy places, such as carparks / garage forecourts, and asking them if they want to try some cheap perfume which they're selling.

However, the perfume turns out to be ether, with the intention being that someone taking a hearty whiff will be knocked out pronto, then gone over for their valuables / whatever evil types do to an unconscious victim.

Could be utter bollocks, mind, but forewarned is forearmed :)

---

Please read - this is one of the latest scams going around. I don't know if it's reached over the pond yet but just in case.....

It was about 3 weeks ago, I was at the Shell station in London getting diesel. It was about 11:30 pm. I was approached by 2 men and 2 women in a car. The man that was driving asked me 'What kind of perfume do you wear?' I was a bit confused and I asked him 'Why?' He said 'We are selling some name brand perfumes, at cheap prices.' I said I had no money. He then reached out of the car and handed me paper that was laminated; it had many perfumes on it. I looked quickly at it and gave it back. I said, 'I have no money'. He said 'It is OK, we take cheque, cash or credit cards'. Then the people in the car began to laugh. I just got in my car and said no thanks. Then I received this e-mail yesterday and it sent chills up my spine.

Please read this. It is not joke. Here is the e-mail I was sent:

Dear Friends: I know not all of you are women that I am sending his to, but I am hoping you will share this with your wives, daughters, mother, sisters, etc. Our world seems to be getting crazier by the day. Pipe bombs in mailboxes and sickos in parking lots with perfume. Be careful.

I was approached yesterday afternoon around 3:30 pm in the Tesco car park when two males asked what kind of perfume I was wearing. Then they asked if I'd like to sample some fabulous scent they were willing to sell me at a very reasonable rate. I probably would have agreed had I not received an e-mail some weeks ago warning of a 'Wanna smell this neat perfume?' scam. The men continued to stand between parked cars, I guess to wait for someone else to hit on. I stopped a lady going towards them, pointing at them and told her about how I was sent an e-mail at work about someone walking up to you at the shopping areas or in parking lots and asking you to SNIFF PERFUME that they are selling at a cheap price.

THIS IS NOT PERFUME...IT IS ETHER!

When you sniff it, you'll pass out. They'll take your wallet, your valuables and heaven knows what else. If it were not for this e-mail, probably would have sniffed the 'perfume' but thanks to the generosity of an e-mailing friend, I was spared whatever might have happened to me. I wanted to do the same for you.

PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO ALL YOUR WOMEN FRIENDS AND PLEASE BE ALERT AND
BE AWARE. IF YOU ARE A MAN AND RECEIVE THIS, PASS IT ON TO YOUR WOMEN FRIENDS.

Ladies this happened to me yesterday and I didn't smell the perfume either, thanks to this email. This is true. Believe me, I know. I was over by the car park at lunch time when I was approached. So either day or night, it does not matter.There were 3 guys together when I was approached. I called the police when I got back to my home. Like the email says above, LET EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS. YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, whoever. It helped me. The first thing that popped into my head was this e-mail warning.

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[edit] Apparent hoax! Ta, mrph :)

Addendum

Date: 2004-05-20 11:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mrph.livejournal.com
Snopes has it too, but in a more obviously American flavour - a Wal-Mart rather than a Shell.

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/robbery/perfume.htm

Re: And our survey says... hoax!

Date: 2004-05-20 11:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deathboy.livejournal.com
winner - thanks :)

Date: 2004-05-20 11:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] moopet.livejournal.com
How could it be real? It follows the moron code!

Date: 2004-05-20 11:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] blaadyblah.livejournal.com
Had this one from someone or other last year saying it had come from the local police station, but it wasn't genuine then and unless it gave someone a bright idea I suspect it's no less genuine now ;)

Date: 2004-05-20 11:19 am (UTC)

Approximate summarization...

Date: 2004-05-20 12:00 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Some bird claimed this whilst carrying about $50k of company money, hence the "disappearance" of the vast sum of cash.

The story started circulating. Some MP/Government type got it forwarded to her here in the UK. She forwarded it on, with her Government signature tags on it, making it seem like an official alert. She apparently sent out an apology when she found out it was a hoax.

~F

Date: 2004-05-20 01:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] grumpy-sysadmin.livejournal.com
forewarned is forearmed :)
But who wants to be half an octopus? (That joke works a bit better out loud, I guess...)

Date: 2004-05-20 01:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] poggs.livejournal.com
Generally any email like this which includes such as a relative date, a "believe me this is really true", urges you to "tell everyone"... is probably fake

Phew

Date: 2004-05-21 05:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sarah-mum.livejournal.com
I'm so glad to have been alerted, because otherwise I'd have been perfectly happy to let someone invade my personal space in an otherwise deserted car-park; and indeed reveal my credit-card details to some random phone-caller / call premium rate numbers to claim non-existent prizes. What fuckin' planet do these people live on?

BTW - You know not to show 'em your cock right?
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