mean, evil & rotten!
By MsTickle
@MsTickle (25180)
Australia
March 28, 2007 5:22am CST
PLEASE TAKE NOTE I was approached yesterday afternoon
around 3.30pm
in the Coles parking lot at Miranda by two males, asking
what kind
of perfume I was wearing. (NB; this isn't inWestfield ,
it is down
the road)
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 this 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, I pointed at them
and told
her about how I was sent an email at work about someone
walking up
to you at the shopping malls, in parking lots, and
asking you to
sniff perfume that they are selling at cheap prices.
THIS IS NOT PERFUME - IT IS ETHER!
When you sniff it, you'll pass out and they'll take
your wallet,
your handbag, your valuables, and heaven knows what
else. If it
were not for this email, 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, and
wanted to do the
same for you.
These guys hit Sydney and Melbourne 2 weeks ago and now
they are
doing it in Perthand QUEENSLAND.
IF YOU ARE A MAN AND RECEIVE THIS PASS IT ON TO ALL THE
WOMEN
YOU KNOW!!!
I called the police when I got back to my desk. Like
the email
says
- LET EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS, YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY,
CO-WORKERS, Whoever!!! Tell everyone!
I love perfume...I'd be silly enough to fall for this. How about you?
9 people like this
29 responses
@brandi_girl_16 (624)
• United States
28 Mar 07
Wow! These criminals are just getting smarter and smarter in a stupid way! Thanks for letting us know this! I'll let all my friends and family know about it (I'm in the U.S. but I'm sure we have stupid guys trying this out here, to!) Thanks very much!
3 people like this
@easy888 (10405)
• Australia
28 Mar 07
Oh ,,thx for the discussion...I cannot imagine how it will be like if it happend to me and I did not read this...
May be I will have a look due to my curiosity if you do not tell me. I think I should not trust any strangers,especially those try to offer you something.
2 people like this
@jillbeth (2705)
• United States
28 Mar 07
Thanks for this information, I had not heard about this yet. I don't wear perfume but I'm sure that wouldn't stop them from asking me! I would always be very wary of anyone hanging out in a parking lot, though. Too many weirdos out there. I will be sure to pass this one.
2 people like this
@rosie_123 (6113)
•
28 Mar 07
Well I am glad you are OK and didn't fall for this. I have heard of similar things going on in London too. Sadly any big city in any part of the world attracts people who will do this kind of thing - sometimes even in not so big cities too. All we can do is be vigilant, take care of ourselves, and others, and be careful at all times. Glad you are alright.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
29 Mar 07
I feel like a fool and I'm as pink as my avatar.
This warning is in fact an urban legend. One woman said it happened to her but it has not been proven. I'm very sorry to have misled you all. I fell for it as well.
In future, any stories you hear or warnings you get try checking here first:
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/p/perfume.htm
@lpipe0240 (1161)
• United States
28 Mar 07
I guess I am lucky that my wife is allergic to perfume. She won't get caught up in this scam, but it is still good to know!
2 people like this
@swapnanair_35 (21)
• India
28 Mar 07
Hello tickle,
Had you alerted the parking lot attendant atleast those two guys would have been in the cooler. And the ladies in Queensland,perth and Melbourne would'nt have been releived of their belongings. You are among the fortunate few who may have had a good look at those crooks. Now atleast you can volunteer to identify those guys or help the cops make a near identical sketch to warn potential victims.
Anyway, you sure are a very alert and quick witted person. I guess, on my own and without your warning, I would definitely have sniffed the so called perfume at unbelievable prices..... and would have lost a lot!
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
29 Mar 07
Sorry to mislead ou or anyone for that matter.
I rteceived this warning as an email and posted it in total. It had been forwarded many times and I should have changed the wording but by the time i had deleted all the little arrows I just wanted to post it!
My sincere apologies. I was simply posting a warning not looking for sympathy.
@bindishah (2062)
• India
29 Mar 07
Wow this is scary. Id probably not smell some perfume in a parking lot but still i can see how people can fall for it. Its good to know you contacted the authorities on these 2 men. I hope they picked them up.
@vanities (11395)
• Davao, Philippines
29 Mar 07
that was great!! you did a good job and a responsible citizen in your country..you prevent someone from being robbed i guess...i hope every here in my country thinks like you do...coz here they are afraid to do that..thinking that those men will get back at them..its how things here if they find out ...
1 person likes this
@destroyer (784)
• Pakistan
29 Mar 07
Wow, you were lucky to have received that email from your friend! I would have surely fallen for their scam cause i also love perfumes!
If this scam is so well known why isnt the police doing anything about it?
1 person likes this
@gemini1960 (1161)
• Philippines
29 Mar 07
im a man but im not what you have described in your headings ...i know what you mean by that jsut making a joke here...anyway some men or groups who are really like that ..who like to have an easy money for themselves..not caringfor those who are working hard just to earned...but im so proud of you for letting us know this kind of tricks....it makes us aware more and be careful ...
@crickethear (1417)
• United States
29 Mar 07
Man, thank you for the warning. Boy that is so upsetting. I love perfume, and probably would have fell victim to it. It makes you wonder and suspicious about everything, and anyone. You have to really stop and think, could this be a scam, before doing anything. That is the saddest thing of all, not beng able to trust people. In any event I appreciate the story, and now when someone asks me if I want to smell perfume, I will run the other way.
1 person likes this
@retardedrugrat (4791)
• Canada
29 Mar 07
Honestly, I'm not really a perfume fan per se. I only use White Musk from The Body Shop, and now they've been bought out by L'Oreal, I won't even shop there anymore.
I have a friend who loves perfume though and she'd probably fall for this. If you don't mind, I'd like to copy this into an email and pass it along to some of my Australian friends so they're warned about it.
It's a mean and nasty way for men to prey on women and it's so simplistic. I must say though that I would be a little bit suspicious at being approached by 2 strange men in a parking lot - if my mother did nothing else, she did instill a healthy distrust of strangers in me.
1 person likes this
@nelly5 (1424)
• United States
29 Mar 07
Wow! The things that people come up with are so crazy, disguisting and just evil. I can't believe this, what the heck is wrong with people. I will be sure to let everyone I know about this scam. Even if I am not in your area, you never know where and when someone else may try this. I am so happy that you had gotten that email and didn't fall into the trap those men had set. Thanks for sharing with us.
1 person likes this
@vogelvrij (196)
• Netherlands
29 Mar 07
I have heard this story before. There could be not enough warnings out there. I would never participate in anything that is happening volunteringly on the streets. Dont buy a thing. If I want to buy something I go to the shop. The only thing I buy sometimes on the streetcorner is a magazine from a homeless woman. Thats all. I dont mix in to do some questionairies, I dont want to snif another new perfume. I am too busy to keep me busy with those kind of things. And now I am warned again. Wont snif at a perfume offered me on the streets.
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
29 Mar 07
thanks for posting this warning to all of us... i am not a big fan of perfume but this information is really valuable for me to guard myself against strangers on the road with bad intentions... i am going to tell this to all of my female friends and i'm glad that you know this scam in advance and does not fall into it... once again, thanks for the warning...
1 person likes this
@charms88 (7538)
• Philippines
29 Mar 07
Oh tickle, that was mean. This is certainly another one of the bogus thing people can think about robbing us. Recently, there's another new one that I watched in the local news. There is a group of young people feigning themselves as poor and will roam around the shopping mall. They will stand beside someone in a crowded shop and discreetly pass a notes to their chosen prey. Inside the note was written that this is a hold up and the victim should quietly placed their money in a pouch they provided. Until now, the law enforcers are still trying to syndicate this new group. Its really hard to tell just where we should go now to avoid this kind of sham.
1 person likes this
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
28 Mar 07
Good Grief what next. I hope everyone in the world could see this. You know we all like to talk tough and say oh I'd never be that stupid to sniff perfume on the street but REALLY if you like perfume, and most women do lets face it. I think it would be very easy to get caught up in the moment and take a sniff. Oh this sure makes you think doesn't it ??? Thank You for the heads up !!! I'm not even sure I'll use perfume for a day or two after hearing this... REALLY
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
28 Mar 07
Thanks for sharing this.
I can't believe that I would ever smell something that a stranger in a parking lot asked me to smell. But since there are people who might it is great of you to get this word out.
1 person likes this
