Text and email messages warning women of a spate of bizarre attacks in supermarket car parks are believed to be the latest urban myth.
Readers contacted Kent on Saturday this week after receiving the frightening alerts – forwarded by friends – which claimed women were being drugged and attacked.
The messages claimed they were being approached by a man offering to sell perfume.
He then offers to let them smell the perfume and offers a card with the scent on. But the scent is in fact a drug which causes them to lose consciousness.
They are then attacked and, or, robbed.
Kent on Saturday has been told the messages refer to specific attacks in ASDA supermarket car parks – with both Folkestone and Ashford among the stores mentioned by name.
But Kent Police say they believe the texts and emails are just a hoax – and circulated by unsuspecting people unaware the story is untrue.
A South Kent Police spokesman said: “We are aware that a text message or email is being circulated warning women to beware of some men at the ASDA car park who approach people asking them to sniff a card that has perfume on it.
“Then they are overcome from the fumes given off by the perfume which makes them vulnerable to robbery. We are not aware that any such incidents have actually taken place and suspect it is a hoax.
“We would advise anyone who is approached by people appearing to sell things unofficially in car parks to be cautious, but do not believe they should have any additional concerns for their personal safety.”
Detectives have contacted ASDA who have confirmed they have no knowledge of such incidents.
Urban myths are notorious for spreading shock stories – with the internet and email a fertile breeding ground.
Perhaps the most famous is a variation on a story about a woman pulling into a petrol station. As she pays for petrol a man climbs and hides in the backseat. She is only made aware of her impending attacker when a fellow motorists flashes her and she pulls over – just in the nick of time.
It is, as with the many other similar
stories, untrue.
POSTED: 11/07/2009 11:00:00
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