We need to be careful ladies - another warning!

@makingpots (11915)
United States
June 20, 2007 5:08pm CST
A friend just sent me this email. I think we should all read it and share it with others. NEW TRICK FOR RAPISTS--PLEASE READ AND PASS ON Know what money you are carrying. You will see why as you read! Share this with your wife and daughters. Know what money you are carrying... This was the first I have heard of a scheme like this...I wanted to pass it along. Be safe! Something very serious to pay attention to. Criminals are coming up with craftier, less threatening methods of attack, so we have to be extra cautious. Read on. I live in Alexandria , VA but I often work in Lafayette , LA , staying with friends when I'm there. As you know from America 's Most Wanted TV program, as well as the news media, there is a serial killer in the Lafayette area. I just want to let you know about an "incident" that happened to me a few weeks ago, and could have been deadly. At first I didn't go to the police or anyone with it because I didn't realize how serious this encounter was. But since I work in a jail and I told a few people about it, it wasn't long before I was paraded into Internal Affairs to tell them my story. It was proximately 5:15 a.m. in Appaloosas, La. I had stayed with a friend there and was on my way to work. I stopped at the Exxon/Blimpie Pie station to get gas. I got $10 gas and a Diet Coke. I took into the store two $5 bills and one $1bill (just enough to get my stuff). As I pulled away from the store, a man approached my truck from the back side of the store (an unlit area). He was an "approachable-looking" man (clean cut, clean shaven, dressed well, etc.). He walked up to my window and knocked. Since I'm very paranoid and "always looking for the rapist or killer," I didn't open the window I just asked what he wanted. He raised a $5 bill to my window and said, "You dropped this." Since I knew I had gone into the store with a certain amount of money, I knew I didn't drop it. When I told him it wasn't mine, he began hitting the window and door, screaming at me to open my door, and insisting that I had dropped the money! At that point, I just drove away as fast as I could. After talking to the Internal Affairs Department and describing the man I saw, and the way he escalated from calm and polite to angry and volatile...it was determined that I could have possibly encountered the serial killer myself. Up to this point, it had been unclear as to how he had gained access to his victims, since there has been no evidence of forced entry into victim's homes, cars, etc. And the fact that he has been attacking in the daytime, when women are less likely to have their guard up, means he is pretty BOLD. So think about it...what gesture is nicer than returning money to someone that dropped it????? How many times would you have opened your window (or do or ) to get your money and say thank you...because if the person is kind enough to return something to you, then he can't really be a threat...can he? Please be cautious! This might not have been the serial killer...but anyone that gets that angry over someone not accepting money from them, can't have honorable intentions. The most important thing to note is that his reaction was NOT WHAT I EXPECTED! A total surprise! But what might have happened if I had opened my door? I shudder to think! P.S. Ladies, really DO forward this to EVERYONE you know. Even if this man wasn't a serial killer, he looked nice, he seemed polite, he was apparently doing an act of kindness, but HE WAS NOT A NICE PERSON! Men send it to all the women in your life. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. Make it a good one!
14 people like this
33 responses
@speedy1279 (2665)
• United States
20 Jun 07
Thank you so much for sharing this. Luckily I hardly ever use cash and almost always use my debit card. But I will definitly be more cautious when I am by myself. I will also pass this on to everyone I know.
5 people like this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
20 Jun 07
I am not 100% sure, but I am pretty sure this has already been proven false by snopes.com. FYI A big red flag for me on this one (not that you would know this necessarily) but the town this supposedly occurred in is severely misspelled.
4 people like this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
20 Jun 07
Here is the snopes.com proving that this is false: http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/batonrouge.asp This article/emailer does not reference Alexandria, VA, but Alexandria, LA (which makes much more sense) and has the town Opelousas spelled correctly. When you get an email like this one 99.9% of the time it is false. Always good to check it out.
5 people like this
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
20 Jun 07
Really? Good eye. Still something to think about. I haven't been to snopes.com in a long time, thanks for reminding me about them.
5 people like this
• United States
21 Jun 07
Even if it's false, the story has probably given some shady characters ideas!
1 person likes this
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
20 Jun 07
OMG !!! How horrific....Thanks for the warning...
4 people like this
@Kowgirl (3490)
• United States
21 Jun 07
Just like Ted Bundy, he too was a well educated, well dressed, friendly man and look how he was....Serial killers are usually the last people we suspect. Even if this isn't true it's still a good idea to be careful especially when alone.
3 people like this
• United States
21 Jun 07
It was good that you took precaution but it could have worse if he had broke your window or something.It would have been a good idea to just drive off.
• Philippines
21 Jun 07
thanks so much for the info..I tend to be carefree most of the time...
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
21 Jun 07
thank you for sharing this important information to us... this is definitely new and i would never think about this method... people use kindness to do bad things... this is really scary... i will tell all my female friends about this to be more cautious in the future... once again, thanks...
3 people like this
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
22 Jun 07
I’ve seen this a couple of times- I think it’s good to send reminders out to people- Boy there are a lot of wackos out there- and the more we pay attention and are more observant- the better off we will be- You never know how true these stories are- but still it helps to take heed in them- I don’t roll my window down for strangers-
@superchook (1786)
• Australia
21 Jun 07
That is just scary, who knows what could have happened. I am glad that you hadn't opened the door. So many people would have thinking they had dropped the money. Thanks for the warning.
3 people like this
@Zelmarq (12607)
• Cebu City, Philippines
20 Jun 07
Thank you for sharing this very important information. This could help warn girls here and a hint about whats hbehind the minds of the criminals.
3 people like this
@mummymo (23706)
21 Jun 07
I have read this in the last few days sweets and it literally knocked me sideways! The fact that someone can be so reasonable and 'nice' one minute and turn into a raving lunatic the next is scary enough but when you combine it with the fact that there is a serial killer and rapist there it makes the blood run cold! It makes you realise just how careful you really do have to be! Even if this guy has nothing to do with any rapes or murders he is obviously dangerous judging from his violent reaction! Thank you for sharing this sweets and for being so thoughtful! xxx
3 people like this
• United States
21 Jun 07
Thanks for the warning! I know I would have thought him a very nice fellow if it were me. It is a very crafty, sneaky thing for them to do and I will def. keep my eye out for anything like this, thank you!
@tinamwhite (3252)
• United States
20 Jun 07
I am so glad that you were so cautious...I can see this as an easy access for someone with dishonorable intention.... It is scary how a person can take an act of kindness and use it against someone like that.... Stay safe and thanks for sharing this information with us...it could save another person's life....
• United States
21 Jun 07
This is scary, and thank you for sharing this. It is scary in this day and age what people will do to cause other people harm. I am very cautious anywhere that I go, because when you are not cautious that is usually when something bad happens. I try not to be so afraid to be in a public parking lot when it is dark, but this day and age it is becoming almost impossible not to.
3 people like this
@dixielol (1579)
• United States
21 Jun 07
OOOHHH, scary thought. I wouldn't think twice about rolling down the window to get my money back. Guess I need to be more cautious from now on. Thanks for posting this.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
21 Jun 07
While this is a practical safety strategy, it is not a real scenario. I found it on Snopes in at least two forms that are very similar, and it has been circulating on the internet at least since 2003. Whenever someone forwards a warning or anything else that seems really strange, and asks you to send it to all of your friends, you should go to Snopes.com and try typing in key words and ideas. You would be surprised at how these things spread and mutate. I know, people want to help and protect each other, but we do not need to be spreading false rumors.
@bonbon664 (3466)
• Canada
21 Jun 07
This is a scam, but it doesn't hurt to be vigilant all the time nontheless.
2 people like this
@DavidReedy (2378)
• United States
21 Jun 07
Hi there! Great post. If I have your permission, I'd like to quote the majority of it and repost here and on myspace! We should be spreading the word of these kinds of things!
@stacyv81 (5903)
• United States
21 Jun 07
thanks for sharing! Very important for women to know, I have passed it on to my friends,. thanks!
2 people like this
@nicolecab (923)
• United States
21 Jun 07
WOW and to think that I myself live in lafayette, La. The funny thing is you really do not hear about any of these reports on the news or anything. They also have one lose that tell women they have a flat tire on the road when she pulls over to check the tire so do they and act like they are going to help you and end up attacking you then rapeing you and putting you in the trunk of your own car and leaveing you there. Thanks for the warning and thanks for careing enough to let us know about things.
2 people like this