Perfume Email Hoax

Summary:
Email claims that criminals lurking in parking areas are using drugs disguised as perfume to debilitate and rob victims (Full commentary below).

Status:
False

Example:(Submitted via email, 2004)

Subject: Safety message - Ether - This is real and very important!

This may not be happening in Darwin, you might not take it seriously but I've passed it on, you now all know about it. For your personal safety - Take this seriously, I (Simon) know someone who was approached last week after taking $500 out of an ATM by some guy who asked what perfume she was wearing. They asked her if she wanted to buy some Cheap imitation and to have a smell (she declined). These guys hit Sydney and Melbourne 6 weeks ago and now they are doing it here in Perth. I received this email and thought you may want to advise your partners, daughters and friends this experience also happened to one of my son's friends in a Rundle Street Car Park recently......fortunately, she had heard about it before & didn't fall for it. I was approached yesterday afternoon around 3.30pm in the Coles parking lot at Surry Hills 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, I pointed at them, and told her about how I was sent an email at work about someone walking up to you at the malls, 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 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. IF YOU ARE A MAN AND RECEIVE THIS PASS IT ON TO ALL THE WOMEN YOU KNOW!!! Ladies this happened to me yesterday and I didn't smell the perfume either

Commentary:
This old hoax has been in circulation for quite some time. Someone has been kind enough to create an Australian version (included above) of the hoax especially for those of us who reside down under. Very similar hoax emails that use US place names have been hitting inboxes since at least 2000. Another version (included below) has Northern Ireland as the setting. Yet another variant has New Zealand as the location (also included below).

In 1999, a woman claimed to have been assaulted and robbed by assailants who use a debilitating substance disguised as perfume. The story soon made its way to the Internet and spread rapidly as a "warning", even though there were no reported cases of such attacks happening again. In fact, even the original story may have been untrue.

Another version of the hoax claims that people have actually died from sniffing perfume samples that were mailed to them. In these emails, terrorism rather than robbery is the suggested motive. An example of this version is also included below. No such deaths have ever been reported and the claim that governments are covering up the story is very hard to believe.

Northern Ireland Version:

This got sent to me - scarey stuff!!

This is something that happened to Brian and me on the way back from Malta last spring. I didn't think much of it until now.

The reason we were a little suspicious is we had been riding in a jeep all day with 86 degrees temps and we stopped at a motorway stop for something to drink. When I was leaving, a young girl followed me out and asked what kind of cologne I was wearing. Well, after 7 hours in the car sweating. I don't think you could tell I was or was not wearing any cologne. We just got in the jeep and said no thanks. So this does happen.

To all my female friends-

It was about 3 weeks ago, I was at the Shell station in Belfast getting diesel. It was about 11:30pm. 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 check, 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 this to, but 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 fternoon around 3:30 PM in the Tesco car park near the University of Ulster 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 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. 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 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.

New Zealand Version:

Subject: Fw: women friends

This has been forwarded onto me....pass onto as many people as poss..this is no joke

To all my female friends-

It was about 3 weeks ago, I was at the Shell station in Lower Hutt getting gas. It was about 11:30pm. 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 check, 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 this to, but 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 Westfield car park in central Lower Hutt 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 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. 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 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.

Terrorist Perfume Hoax:

IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 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. T HEY 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 FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

Write-up by Brett M. Christensen