Heidi Norton
The perfume hoax is an urban legend about people pretending to sell perfume and using it to knock out unsuspecting individuals and rob them. The hoax, which has been circulating since 1999, is often spread through email warnings and social media posts, urging people, especially women, to be cautious when approached by strangers offering perfume samples. While the story may be based on a real incident, it has evolved and spread widely, creating a sense of fear among the public. The hoax has also taken various forms, including warnings about deadly perfume samples received in the mail and the presence of scammers in supermarket parking lots.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of origin | Late 1999 |
| Originator | Bertha Johnson from Mobile, Alabama |
| Modus Operandi | People are approached and asked to smell a perfume sample, which is actually ether or another chemical, causing them to pass out and get robbed |
| Spread | Emails, Facebook, chain emails, social media |
| Locations | Malls, parking lots, movie theatres, supermarket car parks |
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What You'll Learn
The origins of the perfume hoax
Over time, the details of the story evolved and changed. In some variations, the location shifted from a bank parking lot to other public places such as shopping malls, movie theaters, or supermarket car parks. The perpetrators were described as two women in a car, offering cheap perfume samples to unsuspecting victims. The substance in the perfume was initially reported as an unknown, undetectable substance, but in later versions, it was identified as ether or another strong chemical that caused people to lose consciousness.
The perfume hoax typically involves scammers approaching individuals, usually women, and offering them a chance to smell or purchase perfume at a discounted price. Unsuspecting victims who inhale the fake perfume are said to pass out, allowing the scammers to rob them of their valuables. The hoax often includes a sense of urgency and a warning to spread the message to friends and family, creating a sense of fear and caution among recipients.
The perfume hoax has been circulating for many years, with various versions of the story appearing around Halloween, shopping seasons, and holiday periods. While the specific details may vary, the underlying theme remains consistent: beware of strangers offering perfume samples, as they may be laced with harmful substances. This hoax has persisted due to its effectiveness in preying on people's fears and the well-meaning nature of individuals who want to warn their loved ones about potential dangers.
Despite being widely circulated and adapted to different contexts, the perfume hoax remains just that—a hoax. While there may be a grain of truth in the original story reported by Bertha Johnson, there is no substantial evidence to support the numerous claims made in the subsequent emails and warnings. Organizations like Snopes have debunked these claims, and while scent companies do employ salespeople in similar settings, there is no indication of a widespread scheme to rob people through drugged perfumes.
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The hoax's evolution
The perfume hoax is an urban legend that first emerged in 1999. It revolves around the idea of scammers approaching individuals, typically in public places like parking lots or malls, and offering them perfume to smell. The perfume is allegedly laced with a substance like ether or a strong chemical, causing the victim to faint or pass out. During this vulnerable state, the scammers then rob the victim of their valuables.
The story gained traction through widely circulated emails that often included personal accounts of close calls or incidents where people claimed to have been targeted by these scammers. These emails urged recipients to be cautious and warned them not to fall prey to such schemes.
Over time, the perfume hoax evolved to include new variations. While the original story involved scammers selling perfume at discounted prices, subsequent versions warned of scent companies hiring individuals to sell their products door-to-door or in parking lots. This variation blurred the lines between legitimate sales practices and potential scams, making it challenging for people to discern the truth.
Another offshoot of the perfume hoax emerged, influenced by the anthrax spore attacks of 2001. This new angle involved fictitious deaths of women who supposedly received deadly perfume samples in the mail. The story leveraged the fears surrounding bioterrorism and added a layer of danger to the existing hoax.
The hoax continued to adapt and spread through social media platforms like Facebook, where stories circulated about women being asked to sniff perfume that contained drugs or chemicals, leading to them passing out and being robbed. The evolution of the perfume hoax demonstrates how urban legends can persist and adapt to new contexts, leveraging technology and societal fears to capture the attention of unsuspecting individuals.
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The hoax's spread
The perfume hoax is an urban legend that began in 1999 when Bertha Johnson from Mobile, Alabama, reported to the police that she was robbed by two men who approached her with a perfume sample and requested her opinion on the scent. When she smelled the scent, she passed out and was robbed of $800. While Johnson's story was never substantiated through testing, it sparked a wave of emails and social media warnings, urging people, especially women, to be cautious of such scams.
The story evolved over time, with different variations spreading through email chains and social media platforms like Facebook. The basic premise remained the same: people, usually women, were approached in public places like malls, parking lots, or bathrooms by individuals offering them perfume to smell. However, the perfume was laced with ether or a similar chemical, causing them to lose consciousness, after which their valuables were stolen. The locations also varied, with some versions mentioning specific supermarkets or malls where these incidents allegedly occurred.
The hoax played on people's fears and the desire to warn their loved ones, leading to its widespread circulation. The emails and posts often included phrases like "please pass this on to your friends and family" or "this is not a joke." The warnings were particularly prevalent during Halloween and shopping seasons, as these were prime opportunities for scammers to target unsuspecting individuals.
The perfume hoax also led to a spin-off hoax, which involved fictitious deaths of women who supposedly received deadly perfume samples in the mail. This variation was influenced by the anthrax spore attacks of 2001 and the Klingerman Virus hoax. Additionally, there were warnings about attackers using business cards or pieces of paper laced with burundanga, a disorienting and disabling drug.
While the core story of the perfume hoax may have originated from the 1999 incident, it is important to note that similar scams do exist. Scent companies hire people to sell their products door-to-door or in parking lots, and their behaviours might align with the presumed attackers in the hoax. However, there is a lack of official reports of such robberies, apart from the initial incident reported by Bertha Johnson.
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The hoax's impact
The "perfume hoax" is an urban legend that began circulating in 1999. It involves scammers approaching individuals, typically in public places like malls or parking lots, and offering them a chance to smell a new perfume or cologne that they are selling. The perfume is often described as a high-end brand sold at a discounted price. However, the "perfume" is actually laced with a substance like ether or a sleeping agent, causing the victim to faint or pass out. While unconscious, the scammers take the opportunity to rob the victim of their valuables, including wallets, jewellery, and car keys.
The impact of the perfume hoax has been significant, with numerous reports and variations of the story spreading widely through email chains and social media platforms. People have reported encounters with potential scammers fitting the description from the hoax, often sharing these warnings with their friends and family out of concern for their safety. This has led to a heightened sense of awareness and caution among the public, especially when approached by strangers offering perfume samples.
The hoax has also had a notable impact on individuals' trust in strangers and their sense of safety in public spaces. Many of the warnings circulating encourage recipients to be vigilant and cautious, urging them not to trust strangers offering perfume samples and to always be aware of their surroundings. This heightened suspicion may have inadvertently caused some individuals to be more guarded and wary of others, potentially impacting social interactions and trust in general.
Additionally, the perfume hoax has had a direct impact on the perfume and fragrance industry. Some individuals may have become more cautious about testing or purchasing new perfumes, especially in public places like malls or supermarkets. This could influence buying behaviours and potentially impact sales for legitimate perfume companies, particularly those that utilise promotional strategies involving product sampling.
The hoax has also sparked discussions and investigations into the potential dangers of counterfeit perfumes, which may contain harmful substances. While the hoax itself may be unfounded, the issue of fake fragrances is a legitimate concern, as these products can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions, and even serious health risks due to the presence of toxic ingredients. The perfume hoax has inadvertently drawn attention to this issue, prompting consumers to be more cautious and aware of the potential risks associated with counterfeit perfumes.
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Similar hoaxes
The perfume hoax is an urban legend that began circulating in 1999. It involves scammers approaching people, usually women, in public places like malls and parking lots, and asking them to try a new perfume or cologne. The scammers then take advantage of the opportunity to rob their victims, who are knocked unconscious by the "perfume", which is actually laced with a drug like ether or Axter.
- Reebok's "Swet" perfume: Reebok released an Instagram ad for a perfume called "Swet", which was supposed to smell like human sweat. However, this was just a hoax created by the ad firm M&C Saatchu.
- Chute App: The Observer posted an article about an app called Chute, which could allegedly use the iPhone's vibration motor to turn it screen-side up during a fall. This was later revealed to be a hoax by the marketing firm Boogie.
- Dragons: A comically straight-faced claim published in the journal Nature cited sources like Newt Scamander, a fictional zoologist from the Harry Potter books, to "prove" that dragons once existed.
- John Green's "Fault in Our Stars" Sequel: John Green's Australian publisher tweeted about a supposed sequel to "The Fault in Our Stars", titled "Not in the Stars, to Hold Our Destiny". However, this was just a hoax.
- Zoosk's "Shakespearean" Mode: The dating site Zoosk introduced a "Shakespearean" language option, which translated all the text on the site into olde-Anglicanisms. This was likely intended as a lighthearted April Fool's Day joke.
- Google Pac-Maps: This feature, which allowed users to turn any Google Map into a playable Pac-Man game, was also an April Fool's Day prank.
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Frequently asked questions
The perfume hoax is an urban legend about people pretending to sell perfume and using ether or another chemical to knock the buyer out and rob them.
The perfume hoax started in 1999 when Bertha Johnson from Mobile, Alabama, reported to the police that she had been robbed after being knocked out by people pretending to sell her perfume.
Bertha Johnson reported that she was approached by two men who asked her to smell a perfume sample. When she did, she passed out and was robbed of $800.
While the original story involved cologne, newer versions involve perfume. The original story also did not identify the substance used to knock out the victim, whereas newer versions claim it is ether.
The story is often spread through email around Halloween and shopping seasons.
