Bertha Johnson's firsthand report of her run-in with knockout cologne thieves inspired an anonymously-written email alert cautioning women to beware of parking lot vendors offering perfume samples to sniff. Though it nailed some of the factual details correctly, the message omitted others completely — Johnson's name, for example, as well as the name of the city in which the incident originally happened. On the one hand, these omissions dampened the email's credibility somewhat — in general, stories are more believable the more specific they are. On the other hand, minus some of the particulars the story took on an air of universality: this could happen to anyone, anywhere — even you, in your hometown!
'I did two stupid things'
Subject: Fwd: Cologne sniffing
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 08:54:37 -0600
Watch out - this is for real!!!!!!!I just heard on the radio about a lady that was asked to sniff a bottle of perfume that another woman was selling for $8.00. (In a mall parking lot) She told the story that it was her last bottle of perfume that regularly sells for $49.00 but she was getting rid of it for only $8.00, sound legitimate?
That's what the victim thought, but when she awoke she found out that her car had been moved to another parking area and she was missing all her money that was in her wallet (total of $800.00). Pretty steep for a sniff of perfume!
Anyway, the perfume wasn't perfume at all, it was some kind of ether or strong substance to cause anyone who breathes the fumes to black out.
SO beware..... Christmas time is coming and we will be going to malls shopping and we will have cash on us.
Ladies, please don't be so trusting of others and beware of your surroundings- ALWAYS! Obey your instincts!
*Please pass this on to your friends, sisters, mothers and all the women in your life you care about....... we can never be too careful!!!!*
Variants appeared almost instantly, some of them localizing the story in places where no such crimes had ever been reported. One version sent to me in late November 1999, for example, bore the preamble, "This happened in St. Louis."
Early December saw a brand new tacked onto the original: a woman, the addendum claimed, was approached in a Wal-Mart parking lot (city unspecified) by two young men hawking "designer perfume" for (as in the original version) $8 a bottle. In this case, the potential victim declined to sniff the product and escaped unharmed:
Subject: Parking lot weirdos
This was forwarded to me - you may be interested:This is quite strange to hear this story because last month I was approached in the Wal-Mart (on Beckly) parking lot by two young men who were selling designer perfume. They stated that it was the excess of a cosmetic show and it was $8.00. I noticed one young mans distinct accent. I asked him if he was from Kentucky. He replied yes. He asked me if I was sure I didn't want to smell the perfume and I once again said no then got into my car. I did two stupid things. First I spoke/conversed with a stranger at 9:00 at night in a parking lot. Second I allowed a stranger into my space without realizing he was moving closer to me. I was on my guard.
Cologne Sniffing........
Watch Out -- This Is For Real!!!!!!!
I just heard on the radio about a lady who was asked to sniff a bottle of perfume another woman was selling for $8.00. (In a mall parking lot) She was told the story that it was her last bottle of perfume and that it regularly sells for $49.00, but she was getting rid of it for only $8.00 ..... sounds legitimate? That's what the victim thought, but when she awoke she found out that her car had been moved to another parking area and she was missing all the money that was in her wallet (a total of $800.00).
Pretty steep for a sniff of perfume!
Anyway, the perfume wasn't perfume at all, it was some kind of ether or strong substance to cause anyone who breathes the fumes to black out. SO BEWARE....... Christmas time is coming and we will be shopping at malls and we will have cash on us. Ladies, please don't be so trusting of others and beware of your surroundings - ALWAYS! Obey your instincts!
***Please pass this on to your co-workers, friends, sisters, mothers and all the women in your life you care about.......we can never be too careful!!!! I am sure you would feel horrible if you didn't and something happened to someone you could have warned. If your office dosen't have e-mail for everyone, print it and pass it around. Have them sign or inital it so you know they saw it. 'Tis the season for wackos to come out of the dark spaces they live in!***
