Scare Chains are a special class of Urban Legend that purport to be warnings for the ladies (or others). They tell terrible stories about people (usually women and children) who are out and about and who have something awful happen to them. While the stories tend to give good advise, the actual events depicted in them are usually made-up or based on something that happened years ago. They certainly do not depict a current event. Consider, if any of these things happened recently, you would be reading about it in your local newspaper or seeing it on the TV news.
Last modified: Friday, 02-Sep-2005 15:15:08 PDT
October 2000
This one says a bad guy is hiding under your car or in the back seat and is just waiting to haul you away. Sounds like the plot of a slasher movie. As far as we can tell, this never happened (except in the movies). While the list of things to do when getting in your car are not unreasonable, sending this warning on is.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR SAFETY-PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ. A friend stopped at a pay-at-the-pump gas station to get gas. Once she filled her gas tank after paying at the pump and started to leave the attendant inside came over the speaker. He told her that something happened with her card and that she needed to come inside to pay. The lady was confused because the transaction showed complete and approved. She told him that and was getting ready to leave but the attendant once again urged her to come in to pay or else. She proceeded to go inside and started arguing with the attendant about his threat. He told her to calm down and listen carefully: He told her that while she was pumping gas, a guy slipped into the back seat of her car on the other side and he had called the police. She immediately became scared and looked out there in time to see her car door open and the guy slip out. The report is that the new gang initiation thing is to bring back a woman's body part. One way they are doing this is crawling under girls/women's cars while they're pumping gas or at grocery stores in the night time. Then they are cutting the lady's ankles to disable them in order to kidnap them, kill and dismember them. The other way is slipping into unattended cars and kidnapping the women to kill and dismember them. Please pass this on to other women, young and old alike. Be extra careful going to and from your car at night. If at all possible,don't go alone! This is real!! The message: 1. ALWAYS lock your car doors, even if you're gone for just a second. 2. Check underneath your car when approaching it for re-entry, and check in the back before getting in. 3. Always be aware of your surroundings and other individuals in your general vicinity, particularly at night! Send this to as many as possible so your friend will not be the next one.
September 2000
This one says a bad guy is selling perfume which is actually ether and they are going to haul you away when you pass out. Sounds like the plot of another slasher movie. The problems with it are that simply taking a sniff of ether or chloroform will not knock you out. That only happens in the movies. You must breath them through a saturated rag for several seconds before you start to go under. So, as long as you don't stick the perfume bottle up your nose and snort the liquid up into your sinuses, you are not going to be knocked out. Again, don't send this on.
Subject: Beware of someone asking you about perfume. Some of you got this email (see below) some weeks ago like me. I just wanted to pass this along. I was approached yesterday afternoon at around 3:30 pm in the Walmart (Mililani) parking lot by 2 males asking what kind of perfume I was wearing. I didn't stop to answer them and kept walking toward the store. At the same time I remembered this email. The men continued to stand between parked cars-I guess to wait on someone else to hit on. I stopped a lady walking toward them, pointed at them, and told her what they might ask and NOT to let them get near her. When that happened, the men and a lady (I don't know where she came from!) started walking the other way toward their car parked in far corner of the parking lot.
And here is another one.
I WAS SENT AN E-MAIL AT WORK ABOUT SOMEONE WALKING UP TO YOU IN A MALL OR PARKING LOT AND ASKING YOU TO SNIFF PERFUME THEY ARE SELLING AT A CHEAP PRICE. THIS ISN'T REALLY PERFUME BUT ETHER, AND YOU WILL PASS OUT AND THEY TAKE YOUR WALLET AND ALL YOUR VALUABLES. THIS IS NOT A PRANK E-MAIL, THIS IS TRUE BECAUSE I WAS STOPPED IN GOVERNORS SQUARE PARKING LOT TODAY. A MAROON CAR PULLED UP TO ME WITH TWO FEMALES. THE FEMALE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW AND ASKED ME IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN "SNIFFING" SOME PERFUME THEY WERE SELLING. I REMEMBERED THE E-MAIL I JUST RECEIVED YESTERDAY, AND SAID NO. SHE ASKED ME A SECOND TIME, I KEPT ON WALKING SAID NO ONCE AGAIN AND THEY PULLED OFF. IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE E-MAIL, I VERY WELL MAY HAVE DONE IT. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND TELL THEM TO BEWARE. THIS IS TRUE!! IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE E-MAIL I GOT YESTERDAY, I COULD VERY WELL MAY HAVE BEEN A VICTIM. REMEMBER TO PASS THIS ON!!!!!
We saw this one first in October 2001 where a lady claims to have been saved by the previous chain letter.
Subject: please read this!! I think this is pretty important to pass along. I was approached yesterday afternoon around 3:30pm in the Wal-Mart parking lot , by two males, asking 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 email 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, pointed at them, and told her about how I was sent an e-mail about someone walking up to you at the malls 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. And they'll take your wallet, your valuables, and heaven knows what else. If it were not for this e-mail, I probably would have sniffed the "perfume" But thanks to the generosity of an emailing 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 AWARE!! IF YOU ARE A MAN AND RECEIVE THIS PASS IT ON TO YOUR WOMEN FRIENDS!
October 2001
This one fans people's fear of strangers. I've helped people change tires, jump started dead batteries, and given away gallons of gas to strangers in need. I even gave away the shoes off my feet but that is another story (all true, I swear, send it to all yor friends). I would hate to think that people would stop doing good deeds just because someone might think they were monsters. Yes, there are monsters out there so you must judge each situation on its own circumstances and not on some chain letter.
The letter ends with "Better safe than sorry." But, can you imagine living in a nice safe world where no one trusts anyone else, no one is willing to help a stranger or be helped by a stranger when they are in need?
I'm sending this one out to all of you ladies to keep you in the know, and to remind you to be safe when you're out & about. This is scary!!!! Men, if you open this, please make sure the ladies in your life are informed. This happened in Toronto but it could happen anywhere. This just gives me the creeps! About a month ago there was a woman standing by the mall entrance passing out flyers to all the women going in. The woman had written the flyer herself to tell about an experience she had, so that she might warn other women. The previous day, this woman had finished shopping, went out to her car and discovered that she had a flat. She got the jack out of the trunk and began to change the flat. A nice man dressed in business suit and carrying a briefcase walked up to her and said, "I noticed you're changing a flat tire. Would you like me to take are of it for you?" The woman was grateful for his offer and accepted his help. They chatted amiably while the man changed the flat, and then put the flat tire and the jack in the trunk, shut it and dusted his hands off. The woman thanked him profusely, and as she was about to get in her car, the man told her that he left his car around on the other side of the mall, and asked if she would mind giving him a lift to his car. She was a little surprised and she asked him why his car was on other side. He explained that he had seen an old friend in the mall that he hadn't seen for some time and they had a bite to eat and visited for a while; he got turned around in the mall and left through the wrong exit, and now he was running late and his car was clear around on the other side of the mall. The woman hated to tell him "no" because he had just rescued her from having to change her flat tire all by herself, but she felt uneasy. Then she remembered seeing the man put his briefcase in her trunk before shutting it and before he asked her for a ride to his car. She told him that she'd be happy to drive him around to his car, but she just remembered one last thing she needed to buy. She said she would only be a few minutes; he could sit down in her car and wait for her; she would be as quick as she could be. She hurried into the mall, and told a security guard what had happened; the guard came out to her car with her, but the man had left. They opened the trunk, took out his locked briefcase and took it down to the police station. The police opened it (ostensibly to look for ID so they could return it to the man). What they found was rope, duct tape, and knives. When the police checked her "flat" tire, there was nothing wrong with it; the air had simply been let out. It was obvious what the man's intention was, and obvious that he had carefully thought it out in advance. The woman was blessed to have escaped harm. How much worse it would have been if she had children with her and had them wait in the car while the man fixed the tire, or if she had a baby strapped into a car seat. Or if she'd gone against her judgment and given him a lift. I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only; but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it on to them, as well. Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it....better safe than sorry. PLEASE BE SAFE AND NOT SORRY! JUST A WARNING TO ALWAYS BE ALERT AND USE YOUR HEAD!!! Pass this along to every woman you have access to. Never let your guard down. SOMETIMES, THAT FEELING IN YOUR GUT IS THE VOICE OF GOD. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!!
October 2001
This warning looks strangely similar to the one above, except that the mall involved is now in Columbus instead of Toronto. As stated in the warning, Inside Edition did, on August 8, 1998, do a story on the possibility of abducting women from malls, not on real abductions. The hoax writer took the could be and changed it to are to create this hoax message. The snopes site has a very good analysis of this message including a copy of the Inside Edition story.
Make sure you read the entire thing. Towards the end is really important!!!!! The notice below was posted on JCPenney's e-mail this morning to all female associates. I wanted to pass the information on to you: Recently on "Inside Edition" there was an article about several new scams to abduct women. In one, a man comes up to a woman in a mall or shopping center and asks if she likes pizza. When she says she does, he offers her $10,000 to shoot a commercial for pizza, but they need to go outside where the lighting is better. When the woman goes out of the mall she is abducted and assaulted. Another ploy is a very nicely dressed man asks a woman if she would be in a public service announcement to discourage drug use. The man explains that they don't want professional actors or celebrities; they want the average mother t! o ! do this. Once she leaves the mall she is a victim. The third ploy, the most successful, a frantic man comes running in to the mall and asks a woman to please help him, his baby is not breathing. She runs out of the mall following him and also becomes a victim. These have been happening in well-lit parking areas, in daylight as well as nighttime, all over the country. The abductor usually uses a van to abduct the woman. "Inside Edition" set up a test in a mall and 10 out of 15 women went out of the mall on the pizza and the PSA scam. And all of them went out of the mall on the baby scam. Please pass this along to your friends and family as now that it has been shown on Nationwide TV there are bound to be copycats of this. The third one, I think, is the scariest. You might resist pizza or becoming a commercial celebrity...but who would be able to resist a frantic father asking for help for his child? I'm sure that! o! ne would get me. A woman was shopping at the Tuttle Mall in Columbus. She came out to her car and saw she had a flat. She got her jack and spare out of the trunk. A man in a business suit came up and started to help her. When the tire had been replaced, he asked for a ride to his car on the opposite side of the mall. Feeling uncomfortable about doing this, she stalled for a while, but he kept pressing her. She finally asked why he was on this side of the mall if his car was on the other. He claimed he had been talking to friends. Still uncomfortable, she told him that she had just remembered something she had forgotten to pick up at the mall and she left him and went back inside the mall. She reported the incident to the mall security and they went out to her car. The man was nowhere in sight. Opening her trunk, she discovered a briefcase the man had set inside her trunk while helping her with the tire. Insi! de! were rope and a butcher knife. And, when she took the tire to be fixed, the mechanic informed her that there was nothing wrong with her tire, that it was flat because the air had been let out of it. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it on to them, as well. Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it....better safe than sorry. PLEASE BE SAFE AND NOT SORRY! JUST A WARNING TO ALWAYS BE ALERT AND USE YOUR HEAD!!! Pass this along to every woman you have access to. Never let your guard down. SOMETIMES THAT FEELING IN YOUR GUT IS THE VOICE OF GOD. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!!
August 2005
Here is another one like the two above
Subject: Re: Parking lot safety Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2005 20:09:03 EDT Ladies: Please be aware. And pass it on if you think this will help someone. This was passed on to me by a friend. Sunday afternoon around 5 pm I headed into Target in Wheaton, IL (where crime is VERY RARE and mostly it is with bike's being stolen!!). It was still light outside and I parked fairly close to the entrance. As I got out of my car and began walking towards Target, an older lady shouted to me from the passenger seat of a car about 30 feet away from me... "ma'am you must help me, help me please, help me ma'am!" I looked at her in the eyes and started to walk towards her when all of a sudden I remembered an email my mom sent me a week or two ago (one of those forwards about safety that you generally delete, or at least I do) about rapists and abductionists using elderly people to lure women in. I paused, memorized the license plate and immediately headed into Target to get a manager to come help this lady, just in case something was up. While the woman manager headed out there I kept a close watch just because I was curious what was wrong with the lady and wanted to be sure nothing happened. The target lady got very close to the old woman in order to help her do something. Just then the back door flies open and a large man with a stocking cap on jumps out and sticks a gun to the lady's stomach as he shoves her into the back of the car. I yelled call 911 several times and just as I was saying that a policeman who happened to be on the other side of the parking lot and saw the entire thing happen, raced over to the car. He was able to stop the car and arrest the male AS WELL AS THE old lady, who was involved in the scheme. By God's grace everyone was alright, including myself, although I think we were both very shaken up. Like many of you, I would not in a million years have left an elderly person who was yelling for help if it weren't for the email I had read last week. SO, I wanted to pass this along so you all can be aware and remember that you really can't trust anyone these days. You just never know when something like this could happen. I would have never dreamed it to happen to me especially on a Sunday afternoon at a target in a safe area! It definitely was not coincidence that my mom sent me that email just a few days before this all happened. Please PLEASE be careful and always be aware of your surroundings. Just because you individually don't go over to help someone doesn't mean you have to leave them in trouble, but please don't go alone, you really don't know what might be going on.
October 2001
The Slavemaster warning has been around for a couple of years though with different screen names for the bad guy. This warning was based partly in fact on a Kansas man who was linked to the murder of women he met over the Internet. However, he has been in jail since June of 2000 so these warnings are totally out of date and of no value.
A common rule for dealing with unknown people online is that you don't give out personal information such as your address. If a bad guy does not know where you live, it is unlikely that he can find you.
State Police Warning!!!!!! Serious This is something I received from the MD State Police Please read this "very carefully"...then send it out to all the people online that you know. Something like this is nothing to take casually; this is something you DO want to pay attention to. Think of it as a bit of advice too. If a person with the screen-name of Slavemaster contacts you, do not reply. Do not talk to this person; do not answer any of his/her instant Messages or e-mail. Whoever this person may be, he/she is a suspect for murder in the death of 56 women (so far) contacted through the Internet. Please send this to all the women on your buddy list and ask them to pass this on, as well. This screen-name was seen on Yahoo, AOL, and Excite, so far. This is not a joke! Please send this to men too...they can tell their loved ones, just in case! Send to every one you know! Ladies, this is serious. Cut and paste this from its long forward list. Please check and make sure to forward.
Here is another with a lot of different screen names.
PLEASE YOU GUYS, READ THIS "VERY CAREFULLY"....... THEN SEND IT OUT TO ALL THE PEOPLE ONLINE THAT YOU KNOW. SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS NOTHING TO TAKE CASUALLY;THIS IS SOMETHING YOU "DO" WANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO. THINK OF IT AS "BIG BROTHER" SENDING YOU A WARNING............ If a guy with the screen-name of ... SlaveMaster Slavemaster7 slavesasstter slavemasters4454 slavemaster551 slavemaster7234 slavemaster7235 slavemaster7236 slavemaster89 slavemaster9182 OR slavemasters957 ----- contacts you.........do not answer. DO NOT TALK TO THIS PERSON, DO NOT ANSWER ANY OF HIS/HER INSTANT MESSAGES/E-MAIL. He has killed 56 women (so far) that he has talked to on the Internet. PLEASE SEND OUT TO ALL THE WOMEN ON YOUR BUDDY LIST! . ALSO ASK THEM TO PASS THIS ON. He has been on Yahoo and AOL and Excite so far. This is no JOKE.!!! PLEASE SEND THIS TO MEN TOO.......JUST IN CASE!!! Send to EVERY ONE YOU KNOW!! LADIES, THIS IS SERIOUS. CUT AND PASTE THIS FROM IT'S LONG FORWARD LIST. PLEASE CHECK CAREFULLY AND MAKE SURE TO FORWARD TO ANYONE I HAVE NOT INCLUDED ON MY LIST.
October 2001
Talk about an hystericane (a term invented by Rob Rosenberger on the VMyths website), on October 11, this particular hoax went completely out of control. My inbox was so full I couldn't download any more mail. However, our security department checked with the FBI and they said they had investigated this message and found it was a hoax. It never happened so please stop sending it around!
This hoax uses one of the more classic tricks to make it appear authentic. It claims to predict two events, the first of which has happened. The trick is that since the first event has happened, you will believe that the second is going to happen also. Of course, the hoax was written after the first event occurred, making it very simple to make an accurate "prediction."
Don't send it on, put it in the trash. Better yet, go to the mall, or don't go to the mall and then my kids and I will have the whole place to ourselves on Halloween.
Hi All - I think you all know that I don't send out hoaxes and don't do the reactionary thing and send out just anything that crosses my path. This one, however, is a friend of a friend and I've given it enough credibility in my mind that I'm writing it up and sending it out to all of you. My friend's friend was dating a guy from Afghanistan up until a month ago. She had a date with him around 9/6 and was stood up. She was understandably upset and went to his home to find it completely emptied. On 9/10, she received a letter from her boyfriend explaining that he wished he could tell her why he had left and that he was sorry it had to be like that. The part worth mentioning is that he BEGGED her not to get on any commercial airlines on 9/11 and to not to go to any malls on Halloween. As soon as everything happened on the 11th, she called the FBI and has since turned over the letter. This is not an email that I've received and decided to pass on. This came from a phone conversation with a long-time friend of mine last night. I may be wrong, and I hope I am. However, with one of his warnings being correct and devastating, I'm not willing to take the chance on the second and wanted to make sure that people I cared about had the same information that I did. Laura Katsis Implementation Specialist 714/921-5424 lkatsis@volt.com OpsVolt_Track@volt.com
October 2001
The following warning has been making the rounds for the last three weeks and there has been no official announcement from any government organization about missing trucks. ABC News fact checked the message with the truck rental companies and found that there are no known missing trucks as did the Washington Post.
U-Haul has made the following public statement concerning the hoax message.
This is just another attempt to capitalize on peoples fears after the September 11 attacks.PHOENIX (Oct. 17) -- There is no legitimacy to an e-mail circulating that alleges more than 30 trucks from different companies including U-Haul have been stolen for terrorist activities. U-Haul has no missing or stolen equipment related to terrorist activities.
Hey everybody, Sorry for the mass email, but I got important news tonight. My dad works for FEMA and he's really involved with the goings on in NYC. He told me that within the last 24 hours, more than 30 Ryder, U-Haul, and Verizon trucks have been reported stolen across the country. The U-Haul and Ryder trucks were rented and then never returned, so they're considered stolen. Many of them were rented by people of Arab descent. I don't mean to make any assumptions, and I certainly don't want to scare you, but I thought you all might like to know. Be wary of these vehicles, pay attention to them, and don't walk or park near them. He said to stay out of major public places if at all possible (Crossgates, the Pepsi, downtown Albany, etc.) because recreational sites would most likely be hit on weekends. I'm sorry to cause alarm, but he told me it was ok to share this information. If you'd like to forward it to anyone you know, feel free, as there is a possibility it might save lives. I hope everyone is doing well, and give those you love an extra hug.
October 2001
Now the bad guys are after our children. However, if you call the Costco in Wayne, NJ, they will tell you that this never happened. Don't pass it on and have a happy Halloween.
Since I put up this warning, additional information has come available that appears to point to the source of the hoax message. According to an Associated Press story, a man did buy a lot of candy which worried a store manager. The FBI checked him out and found that he was a candy wholesaler, buying candy to resell to other stores. They are holding him, but that is because of unrelated immigration violations they discovered when checking out the candy purchase.
It's important to be wise & cautious during this time.... please share with everyone you know, especially those who have children LADIES, GENTLEMEN, PLEASE, PLEASE BE CARE AND MAKE SURE THIS MESSAGE GETS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW AND LOVE. Yesterday, two Arabians went into the Costco in Wayne, NJ and bought five thousand $ worth of candy. So costco called the cops and told them. The FBI caught one of the Arabians and the other one got away with the candy. The Arabic that got caught was illegally in the country and the FBI thinks the candy is a way to spread the Anthrax virus. send this to 15 people to help protect the country and our kids who will be trick or treating on October 31st.
Febuary 2002
Someone must be tired of all the free samples you get in the mail. Some copies of this hoax contain a name and contact information for a person at the Harris County Attorney's office. We have contacted that office and they say it is a hoax. We suspect that the person either forwarded the warning and got her signature attached to it or someone simply put her name on the message to make it appear legitimate.
Another variant has the message coming from the "JHU Office of Communications & Public Affairs" (JHU = Johns Hopkins University). We have heard from the executive director of communications and public affairs at The Johns Hopkins University and he said, "This message was not issued by my office nor has my office in any way authorized it or any message like it."
We can find no evidence of anyone dieing or even getting sick after sniffing a free sample of perfume. Since September 11, the government has been careful to warn people whenever they have a credible threat and I can't see any advantage in hiding a threat like this so as to not panic people. The government has issued statements about how to detect and handle suspicious packages and you should always be careful when you receive unexpected gifts in the mail. We believe this warning is just another variant of the Bad Guy Selling Perfume hoax.
Seven women have died after inhaling a free perfume sample that was mailed to them. The product was poisonous. If you receive free samples in the mail such as lotions, perfumes, diapers etc. throw them away . The government is afraid that this might be another terrorist act. They will not announce it on the news because they do not want to create panic or give the terrorists new ideas. Send this to all your friends and family members.
June 2002
Here is another one in the same vein as the Stay Out of the Malls on Halloween hoax.
I don't know how true this is, but I'm not taking any chances. Someone I know told me that a friend of her mothers did a "good samaritan" act for someone in a store. The man, who she believes may have been Pakistani, approched her in the parking lot saying he wanted to return the kindness. He warned her to not to buy any Coke products after 6/5/02.
November 2002
The Don't Drink Coke Warning has grown over the last few months. Now it is Pepsi you are supposed to stay away from. The writer knows it is true because her mother's, repairman's, girlfriend passed it on. Nothing like first-hand information. This one even includes a name and address, which is probably for someone the actual writer does not like.
I dont know how I feel about this, but I figure better safe than sorry.
This was posted on a Britney website, but it's making the rumor rounds.
Please just read it and take it as you will. Thanks.
Rumor: Pepsi Warning
Ruben,
Please read this letter. This really doesn't have anything to do
with Britney Spears. I'm wondering if you can do the fans and probably
the fans friends who spread the word across America a favor. Post this
letter I'm writing you or a warning on the website because so many people
go visit this site everyday. What this is about is a terrorist attack on
the United States.
Let me explain. A woman was in a grocery store in St.Louis MO over
the past weekend and she was in line waiting to check out. The man in front
of her that was checking out was Arabic and he was dressed very Arabic also
with the long veil and everything. He came up 5 dollars short so the woman
offered the cashier 5 dollars to cover the rest of his groceries. He
thanked her and walked out. When she was done checking out her groceries
she walked to the parking lot and he was waiting for her. He told her thank
you, she was the first person that had been nice to him since Sept 11.
Since she had done him a favor he was going to do her a favor in return. He
told her not to drink any Pepsi products that were dated after august 6th.
There was going to be arsenic poison or something else in them. He then
vanished and she went home and contacted the FBI, who can not find the man
she spoke with anywhere, however they are investigating the Pepsi story.
The problem is they don't know which Pepsi plants are going to be used in
this scheme and it may be too late before they find out. This makes since
because they found a video tape of Osama Bin Laden saying that the next
attack on America would effect the whole nation. This would be the perfect
way to do it. This is in no way a slam against Britney Spears for promoting
Pepsi or a slam against Pepsi itself. I just want America to be on alert.
Or at least as! much of it as we can alert as possible.
You're probably thinking this is fake but trust me it's not. The woman in
the store is the girlfriend of a man who is doing the siding on my house
right now in St.Charles MO. He told my Mom this story this morning and
asked us to warn people. Please put up something on your website warning
people about this terrible thing that could happen. You know how many
people visit your site daily and how many lives this could save. If you
don't think this is for real you can contact me at xxxxxxxx@yahoo.com or
you can call me at xxx-xxx-xxx. My name is Chandra xxxxx.
Thank you for your time.
I don't know if this is true or not, don't wanna say it's not, but if it
is and I didn't put it up I don't want to have to live with myself thinking
I could have done at least something to warn at least some people.
But....I don't know, it's just an update. If it's a prank, then let it be a
prank, but stuff like this, whether jokes or not should be taken pretty
seriously, especially stuff like this. God Bless...
October 2002
This one has been going around since the middle of the summer. If this really happened, don't you think the story would have been on every network and every newspaper, especially if it was occurring "with amazing regularity"?
Subject: FW: New Mall Crime From the AP news wire. Don't be surprised to see a naked woman walking out of a shopping mall restroom: The latest scam being perpetrated in our nations shopping malls is not the cost of gourmet ice cream cones or Harry Potter collectible figurines. With what is being called amazing regularity, victims of this new crime wave have been found walking out of shopping mall restrooms completely naked. This has almost always been done by men to women, with a few exceptions. The way the scam works is, a man slips into a women's restroom and sneaks into a stall. He waits until there is only one woman in the restroom in a neighboring stall. The criminal then stands on the toilet and points a hand gun into the next stall, demanding the woman's valuables. After getting her cash and jewelry, he demands that she remove all of her clothing and kick them out of the stall. The thief tosses the clothing into a shopping bag, hangs an out of order sign on the restroom door, and slips back into the mall. The out of order sign ensures no one will soon come to the woman's rescue. It usually takes an hour or two for the woman to work up the nerve to leave the restroom in the nude, giving the criminal ample time to make his get away. The woman is left naked and humiliated in a mall full of strangers. The best defense, say police, is to never go into a shopping mall restroom alone, as only women who are by themselves are targeted. PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. This has so far been a nearly perfect crime, as none of the perpetrators have been caught. Don't let this happen to another woman. >
April 2003
Similar to the missing U-Haul Trucks hoax, this one attempts to scare people into stopping deliveries to their homes.
A Washington Post article debunks this hoax.
Subject: UPS Warning Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 06:52:20 -0400 FYI Please take this seriously and exercise caution. Warning from U.S. Government regarding purchase of UPS uniforms: BE ALERT!!!! There has been a huge purchase, $32,000 worth, of United Parcel Service (UPS) uniforms on eBay over the last 30 days. This could represent a serious threat as bogus drivers can drop off anything to anyone with deadly consequences! If you have ANY questions when a UPS driver appears at your door, they should be able to furnish VALID I.D.. Additionally, if someone in a UPS uniform comes to make a drop off or pick up, make absolutely sure they are driving a UPS truck. UPS doesn't make deliveries or pickups in anything except a company vehicle. If you have a problem, IMMEDIATELY call your local law enforcement agency right away! TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY! Tell everyone in your office, family, friends, etc. Make people aware so that we can prepare and/or avoid terrorist attacks on our people! Thank you for your time in reviewing this and PLEASE send to EVERYONE on your list, even if they are friend or foe. We should all be aware!
December 2003
My daughter made a picture very similar to this one in her photography class in high school. In fact, in this one you can see part of the cutout where the picture of the guy was superimposed in front of the ghost and tree. Look closely at where his left shoulder passes in front of the tree.
DO YOU BELIEVE THIS ONE? The guy in the photo went to the Sundarbans with his friends and he asked one of his friends to take his picture in that very place. While his friend was taking the picture he screamed and fainted, 2 days later he died in the medical college. Doctors said he died because of heart attack. When the photos were exposed, in the last photo there was a lady standing right beside him though friends claim that he was standing alone. Many people said it is a rumor and the picture is the result of the blessings of latest technology. However, the photo itself is very scary and I'm sure you'll also feel the same way I've felt. Here you go with the photo!!!
March 2002
Spunkball??? Sounds like a bad movie. Pretty scary huh? At least until you think about it a little. Imagine trying to soak a rag in gasoline and wrap it in tinfoil. What would you end up with? A tinfoil ball coated with gasoline and reeking with gasoline fumes. Consider now what happens when you bring a lit match near it? Poof, the teen attempting to throw the Spunkball goes up in flames. This is a self curing prank. Actually, this is an old one that keeps coming back in different variants.
Note that I contacted Allstate and they did not send this warning. A person at Allstate forwarded it with her signature attached, making it appear that it came from Allstate.
Subject: Alert from All State Insurance Co Subject: Very Important Heard anything about this? Please keep all windows rolled up when stopped at traffic lights, as only cars with windows down are being targeted. Groups of teenagers have been caught, in alarming numbers, playing a new and dangerous game called Spunkball. ! Spunkball consists of a group of teens in a car pulling up to a stoplight, and looking around for a car stopped near by with an open window. When one is spotted, the teens shout, "Spunkball", and throw a gasoline soaked rag that has been wrapped in aluminum foil through the open window. On the outside of the foil attached a small firecracker, with the fuse lit. When the firecracker explodes, it shreds the foil, and the rag is ignited, causing a large flame that may catch the interior of the car on fire. Spunkball playing has already claimed two lives, caused uncountable injuries due to burns, and caused thousands of dollars in damage to automobiles. The best defense, say authorities, is to keep all windows rolled up when stopped at traffic lights, as only cars with windows down are being targeted. If you are at a red light and hear a shout of "Spunkball", and notice something come flying in your window, the best thing to do is to have all passengers immediately exit the vehicle. DO NOT try to retrieve the object, as it will ignite once the firecracker explodes. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT. Bea xxxxxx, FCLS Allstate Insurance Co
March 2004
While you should always be careful when you are out at night, we can find no indication that this specific event has ever happened. I think the heading of the second paragraph "Imagine:" says it all. This is just something out of someone's imagination.
New car scheme -- read carefully Be aware of new car-jacking scheme Read, then forward this email - BE AWARE and BE SAFE Imagine: You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. Then you lock all your doors, start the engine and shift into REVERSE. Habit! You look into the rear-view window to back out of your parking space and you notice a piece of paper, some sort of advertisement stuck to your rear window. So, you shift into PARK, unlock your doors and jump out of your vehicle to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view... when you reach the back of your car, that is when the car-jackers jump out of no where ... jump into your car and take off. Your engine was running, your purse is in the car, and they practically mow you down as they speed off in your car. BE AWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME Just drive away and remove the paper that is stuck to your window later and be thankful that your read this email and that you forwarded it to your friends.
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