I (Michael Torres, a real person here at UTC) have a friend (Morris
Porter) that used-to sell knock-off perfume in Parking lots.  I bought a
couple bottles from him to help him get some sales.  It was ok stuff.  His
position was a very difficult commission-only sales job.  But I can tell you
as a first-hand Eyewitness this was a very real viable product and a real
sales organization right here in Chattanooga (and elsewhere.)
        It is of note that in this email, no where is there a mention of an
actual victim or an actual crime.  There is no proof that there was any
ether involved.  Did you notice that?  Who would know if ether was involved,
if this actually happened??  This would only be known when there was an
actual police investigation.  The only "proof" here is that people were
approached to try perfume.  Morris was trained to carry around the product
and have people test (sniff) and buy on the spot, just like the email.  So
while I am sure these people were approached, I am also very convinced that
they were about to sample perfume.  As exciting as it is to talk about a
near-miss crime, the reality was just another sale call.
        My guess is that a employee of a brand-name perfume company created
yet another urban-legend just so he/she could kill off the imitation-perfume
company.  If you find this stuff exciting you can go rent a horror movie
(one is even one named Urban Legends,) but please don't pass on false rumors
as if they are true.

        Word to the wise,
                Michael

To find a full debunking of this hoax:
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/robbery/perfume.htm








> -----Original Message-----
> From: Anne Jay [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 8:50 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [UTCSTAFF] Perfume Scam
>
>
> Sorry, here is the attachment.
>
>
>
>
> Just got this and felt compelled to pass it on.  Becca
> >
> > The following happened to a friend of mine recently. She was in the
> > parking
> > lot of Circuit City, when she was approached by a woman
> asking did she
> > want
> > to try a sample of the perfume that she was selling.  (It is not
> > against
> > the law to sell perfume in a parking lot). My friend said
> no  that she
> > didn't wear perfume. The woman walked away. My friend had
> received an
> > e-mail previously, and said the woman gave her the creeps. When my
> > friend
> > got home, she called the police and they told her the scam is known,
> > but no
> > charges could be filed because no crime had be committed.
> >
> > Please let your children, husbands, family, friends know about this.
> >
> > WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING
> >
> > I was approached around 3:30 PM in the Walmart parking lot, by two
> > males,
> > asking what kind of perfume I was wearing. Then they asked
> if I'd like
> > to
> > sample some fabulous knockoff scents they were willing to sell to me
> > at
> > very reasonable rates.
> >
> > 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, pointed at them, and told her about an  e-mail I was
> > sent
> > at work, regarding people walking up to you at 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 pass out. And they'll take your wallet, your
> > valuables, and heaven knows what else. (Maybe your life) If it were
> > not
> > for that e-mail, I might have sniffed the "perfume". But
> thanks to the
> > great generosity of an emailing friend, I was spared whatever might
> > have
> > happened
> > to me. I want to do the same for you.
> >
> > PASS THIS ALONG TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS, AND PLEASE BE ALERT AND AWARE!!
> >
> >
> >
> >
>