Medway Towns - Warning

[mel]

I'm not normally one for passing on scare stories, internet myths, or stories of wo about people waking up in baths full of ice etc, however this has come to me from a neighbour who is a Kent copper (and if Mr annie VXR could either colaberate or dismiss this it would be appreciated)

I've been told that over the last few weeks there have been a few incidents locally of the regular high street dodgy perfume sellers approaching young girls and offering cheap branded perfumes, now this in itself is as old as the hills and I dare say that 99% of us would just wave these types away without even entering into a conversation but it appears the twist is that they are offering sniff tests on the sample type sticks that are actually a pretty powerfull sedative/aneasthetic which results in light headedness and general woozyness (rohipnol type springs to mind) which then follows with robbery, so far nothing sexual or overly sinister but any of you with teenage daughters or nieve wives might just want to pass this on.

My advice is if anyone offers you cheap perfume, chin them. Obviously the exception being if you're in Debenhams and the clinique girl is offering free gifts with 2 purchases as that may well result in your own arrest, but just be careful.

Edited by mel on Friday 3rd July 16:28

[Gixer]

I think you'll find it's a hoax. Seen the emails before and its listed as a hoax on the fact/fiction sites. I recall the claim that a sniff of these chemicals in a manner like you sniff perfume samples would not be enough to have that kind of effect.

here ya go -

FYI
This legend tends to resurface every year around the holiday shopping season, along with a host of other urban legends. In previous warnings about fake commercials and flat tires, ankle-slashing gang member initiations and the classic naked-in-the-restroom theft ploy, as in the example above, several themes prevail:

The scenario is plausible, believable and described with surprising detail.
While virtually anybody could fall victim to such a scheme, the warning is targeted at single women shopping alone. Young, single women who choose to work, live, travel or shop alone are often stereotyped in legendry as being at increased risk from clever criminals.
The narrative doesn't actually provide any evidence that such a crime has been or is being committed. In every case, our heroine outsmarts her would-be attackers before they can even initiate their dastardly plot. Ill-intent is always assumed, but never demonstrated.

The crime always exploits the victim's sense of trust, making it particularly embarrassing if one should fall for it.
The solution suggested is always simple, yet specific to the scheme as it is described and not general enough to be of any good use.
As for the assertion that thieves are using ether to knock victims out, toxicology and forensics experts point out that ether doesn't quite work this way. To knock someone out, ether would have to be applied in a highly concentrated form (such as an ether-soaked rag). Inhaling ether vapors from an open bottle is unlikely to knock a victim unconscious. Any chemical potent enough to render someone unconscious through inhalation and would be hazardous to the "attacker" as well as the victim, and would have to be carefully handled and skillfully applied.

There are several legitimate door-to-door perfume marketing programs that encourage their salespeople to peddle their wares in public parking lots and from their vehicles. As always, consumers (men and women alike) should be wary of unconventional approaches by salesmen in unusual places. But don't assume that if the prelude fits the legend, a crime is afoot. Be safe, but not paranoid. Break this chain!

References: Snopes.com

Edited by Gixer on Friday 3rd July 23:43

[Mr_annie_vxr]

mel said:

I'm not normally one for passing on scare stories, internet myths, or stories of wo about people waking up in baths full of ice etc, however this has come to me from a neighbour who is a Kent copper (and if Mr annie VXR could either colaberate or dismiss this it would be appreciated)

I've been told that over the last few weeks there have been a few incidents locally of the regular high street dodgy perfume sellers approaching young girls and offering cheap branded perfumes, now this in itself is as old as the hills and I dare say that 99% of us would just wave these types away without even entering into a conversation but it appears the twist is that they are offering sniff tests on the sample type sticks that are actually a pretty powerfull sedative/aneasthetic which results in light headedness and general woozyness (rohipnol type springs to mind) which then follows with robbery, so far nothing sexual or overly sinister but any of you with teenage daughters or nieve wives might just want to pass this on.

My advice is if anyone offers you cheap perfume, chin them. Obviously the exception being if you're in Debenhams and the clinique girl is offering free gifts with 2 purchases as that may well result in your own arrest, but just be careful.

Edited by mel on Friday 3rd July 16:28

Not heard this one and would think it would be on the briefing, although I'm off for a few days but up until Thursday night nothing.

I'm in next week if there is anything to it I will let you know. My gut is that it is LOB (police term for Load of bks)

[Uncle Fester]

There is a website for checking scare stories before spreading them further.

Here's the link for this one.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/perfume.asp

It's a false scare.