This is a hoax. From snopes.com
Warnings
--> Carjacking
Carjacking
Claim:
Parking lot carjackers are placing flyers on
the rear windshields of automobiles,
then taking the cars when drivers step out of
their vehicles to remove the flyers.
Status: False.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2004]
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
nowhere . . .
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 you read this email and
that you forwarded it to your friends.
Origins:
This alert has been kicked from inbox to
inbox since February 2004. Although we
classified it as Undetermined in our initial
write-up
just after the warning appeared (because at
that early stage not enough was then
known about it), we've now moved this alert squarely into the False category.
Since February 2004 we have been watching the
news most carefully for any sign of
an actual carjacking — either perpetrated or
merely attempted — that followed the
script outlined in the widely-spread
e-mailed
caution. We have yet to see evidence of so much
as one. Were this "lure motorists
from their vehicles by leaving flyers on their
cars' rear windows, then drive off
with their buggies" method in play, that surely would not have been the case.
Nothing rules out there having been one car
theft carried out in the manner described
that we have yet to hear about. But even if that
proves to be the case, there is
clearly no crime wave, no ever-present danger to
motorists everywhere, no flyer-armed
menace lurking in the nation's parking
lots.
We generally try to apply five points in
evaluating warnings about possible criminal
schemes or activities:
1) Is the phenomenon outlined in the warning
technically possible as described?
2) Is the phenomenon outlined in the warning
plausible? (That is, some criminal
schemes are technically possible, but they're too
difficult, cumbersome, or expensive
to plausibly enact on anything more than a very limited basis.)
3) Are there any verifiable instances of
people having been victimized in the manner
described by the warning?
4) Is there evidence that the criminal
activity described in the warning is widespread?
5) Is the criminal activity described in the
warning something the average person
might fall victim to?
Tackling these points in order, we find:
1) This is a decidedly "low-tech" scheme for
stealing cars, so it's certainly possible
this method could be used to steal cars
(although, as we discuss below, it may be
a rather implausible scheme in execution).
2) Our law enforcement contacts noted that
although the process described above
could be used by carjackers, they were unfamiliar
with any cases of cars being stolen
in this manner, and the scheme outlined ran
contrary to their experience of how carjackers
operate. Specifically, they said that carjackings
are generally crimes of opportunity,
committed by persons in need of quick cash or
youngsters either out for a thrill
or participating in some rite of passage (such as
a gang initiation). Carjackers
tend to hang around places where motorists have
to stop or exit their vehicles (e.g.,
intersections, gas stations, car washes, ATMs,
freeway on- and off-ramps) and then
force the drivers out of their automobiles (or
simply take off with the temporarily
unoccupied cars). Running around parking lots
sticking flyers on windshields and
then hanging around to wait for drivers to return
to their vehicles involves planning
and exposure atypical of most carjackers; they're
more likely to approach occupied
vehicles (particularly luxury cars with high
resale value) and force the drivers
out (by threatening them with weapons and/or
physically pulling them out of their
seats).
They acknowledged, however, that as
improvements in car alarms, locking devices,
and other anti-theft systems have made it harder
to steal unoccupied vehicles, car
thieves
(i.e., those who boost vehicles on a regular
basis, mostly without the use of violence
or weaponry) may be resorting to alternative
methods such as the one described above.
(Many cars lack rear windshield wipers under
which flyers could be placed, but the
flyers might be affixed with some type of adhesive instead.)
But one aspect of this scheme sounds somewhat
implausible: Drivers usually have
to back up to leave a parking space in situations where they've parked
head-in,
and people who have parked
head-in
are generally approaching their cars from the
rear when they return. So, a flyer
posted on a rear window is quite likely to be
discovered and removed by the returning
driver before he enters his car.
3) We haven't yet found any news reports of
cars being jacked in the manner reported
above, nor any law enforcement officials who had
heard of it other than though the
e-mail
. It's possible, though, that if this were truly
a new scheme, the detail about
a flyer on the windshield might not have been
reported because the victim (and police)
didn't realize it was an element of the carjacking.
4) Since we haven't yet documented any
occurrences of the activity described in
this warning, we can't confirm that it is a widespread activity.
5) If this scheme were actually employed by
carjackers (or car thieves), it's certainly
something the average person might fall victim to.
The alert has gained a measure of credibility
thanks to it having been forwarded
by members of the law enforcement community.
Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Terry
Granell received the warning via the usual method (a friend
e-mailed
it to him), thought it something he should pass
along to his daughters, and so unthinkingly
volleyed it to them from his work account, which
automatically appended his official
signature block to the mailing. Taking their dad's
e-mail
for an official announcement from the Illinois
State Police about a mode of crime
that agency was dealing with, the alarmed girls
passed along the heads up about leaflet-armed
carjackers to their friends, who in turn loosed
it upon a wider audience. As it sped
from one inbox to the next, the alert was
presumed authentic because it carried the
contact information for a real police officer.
Yet appearances to the contrary, Sgt. Granell's e-mail
wasn't an official statement made on behalf of
the Illinois State Police about a
form of crime it had noted and wanted the public
to guard itself against, it was
merely the passing along of a dubious
e-mail
by a private citizen who just happened to be a police officer.
Later versions of this e-mail identified
Sgt. Granell
as being a member of the Louisiana State Patrol or Louisiana State Police.
One of the many versions in circulation commences:
Detective Bledsoe, of the Florissant, MO
Sheriff's office confirms that this is
happening in
St. Louis
County, Missouri and could be happening near
you, so be careful and take note. Leutenant
Tony Bartholome of the Missouiri Highway Patrol
urges everyone to keep this email
circulating — the more people who are aware of
this MO, the better. Description of
new carjacking scheme:
The Florissant (Missouri) Police Department has posted
this denial
on its web site:
ERRONEOUS E-MAIL CAUSES ALARM IN CITY OF FLORISSANT
Chief William Karabas of the Florissant Police
Department wants to make the public
aware of an erroneous
e-mail
"I want to put an end to this rumor. The City
of Florissant has not had any incidents
of this nature!", said Chief Karabas. In fact, the
e-mail
makes reference to many false claims. Chief
Karabas stated, "Some of the points
include, referring to the Florissant Police
Department as a Sheriffs Department,
which we are not, we DO NOT have a Detective
Bledsoe, there is NO State Trooper named
Bartholome, there is NO Missouri Neighborhood
Watch Association, there is NO such
address
(1456 Washington Ave)
in Florissant and the telephone number given on the
e-mail is NOT IN SERVICE!"
Again, there is NO validity to this e-mail. It
is FALSE. We ask that people be informed
and get the correct information. One way to check
e-mails
for validity is to call your police department or go
on-line to check ‘Urban Legends’ at www.snopes.com
earlier, Lyn Latham, wrote:
> This was forwarded to me from a
> friend of mine. Since he dididn't put a
> subject on the message, I did it for him. Now
> blindlings, you might not need this email, but
> someone you love and know might. God bless all.
>----- Original Message ----- From: "george crespo" <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Monday, February 05, 2007 8:27 AM
>Subject: (No subject header)
>
>
>>To: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask],
>>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]
>>Bcc:
>>Subject: paper on back glass of vehicle
>>Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2007 08:27:33 -0500
>>Mime-Version: 1.0
>>Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
>>X-OriginalArrivalTime: 05 Feb 2007
>>13:27:38.0096 (UTC) FILETIME=[676BE700:01C74929]
>>
>>FYI
>>
>>
>>> BEWARE OF PAPER ON THE BACK GLASS OF YOUR VEHICLE : NEW WAY TO DO CAR
>>>JACKING Heads up everyone. Please, keep this circulating... You walk
>>>across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. You start the
>>>engine and shift into Reverse. When you look into The rearview mirror to
>>>back out of your parking space, you notice A piece of paper stuck to the
>>>middle of the rear window. So, you Shift into Park, unlock your doors, and
>>>jump out of your Car 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 jacker(s) appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and Take
>>>off. They practically mow you down as they speed off In your car. A nd
>>>guess what, ladies? I bet your purse is still in the car. So now the
>>>carjacker has your car, your home address, your Money, and your keys. Your
>>>home and your whole identity is Now compromised! BEWARE OF THIS NEW
>>>SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED. If you see a piece of paper stuck to
>>>your back window, just drive
>>away.
>>> Remove the paper later. And be thankful that you read this e-mail.
>>>I hope you will forward this to friends and family, especially to
>>women.
>>> A purse contains all kinds of personal information and
>>identification
>>>Documents, and you certainly do NOT want this to fall into the
>>wrong
>>hands.
>>> Please keep this going.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>No virus found in this incoming message.
>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>>Version: 7.1.411 / Virus Database: 268.17.19/663 - Release Date: 2/1/2007
>>
>
>
>
>
>--
>No virus found in this incoming message.
>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.24/668
>- Release Date: 2/4/2007 1:30 AM
John
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.24/668 - Release Date: 2/4/2007 1:30 AM
|
