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After briefly describing what happened yesterday in a local parking lot, lady friend tonight told me I may have been the intended victim of an "ether scam". Checkin here to see if others have recently heard of such - and to warn others of the possibilities.

Short version is I was getting into truck after being in office at Nelson RediMix Concrete in Lewisville when approached by a pretty cleancut Hispanic male in mid 20s. I went to an elevated condition yellow when he got out from behind the steering wheel of his car which was across the driveway from me about 15 yards and started walking toward the front of my truck as I was opening my drivers door. He said "Do you use colonge?" I responded "No". He immediately said "You look like a cologne guy to me". I replied firmly "I have no interest." (Plus one 6 word sentence about getting out of my space that is not repeatable on this forum.) He promptly went back to his car just as a companion came out of the office, looked our way, then promptly got into the passenger side and they drove off.

Lady friend said she's heard of such with people working in teams. One gets the victim to "smell" supposedly fancy cologne for a discounted price and it's actually ether. That as soon as the victim gets a whiff, they are disabled and robbed.

Anybuddy else heard of such? Especially lately and in the DFW/Lewisville area?

Glad you did not fall for the 'scam'. Thanks for the warning. Where do the BG's think this stuff up?

Snopes says ether scams are bogus. http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/perfume.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You could have been the first, however.

More likely to me: Dude was trying to make a quick buck selling cheap or watered down cologne.

Somewhat less likely, but more than the ether business: You were being "interviewed" or he was trying to distract you prior to sticking a gun in your ribs and robbing you.

Greybeard wrote:After briefly describing what happened yesterday in a local parking lot, lady friend tonight told me I may have been the intended victim of an "ether scam". Checkin here to see if others have recently heard of such - and to warn others of the possibilities.

Short version is I was getting into truck after being in office at Nelson RediMix Concrete in Lewisville when approached by a pretty cleancut Hispanic male in mid 20s. I went to an elevated condition yellow when he got out from behind the steering wheel of his car which was across the driveway from me about 15 yards and started walking toward the front of my truck as I was opening my drivers door. He said "Do you use colonge?" I responded "No". He immediately said "You look like a cologne guy to me". I replied firmly "I have no interest." (Plus one 6 word sentence about getting out of my space that is not repeatable on this forum.) He promptly went back to his car just as a companion came out of the office, looked our way, then promptly got into the passenger side and they drove off.

Lady friend said she's heard of such with people working in teams. One gets the victim to "smell" supposedly fancy cologne for a discounted price and it's actually ether. That as soon as the victim gets a whiff, they are disabled and robbed.

Anybuddy else heard of such? Especially lately and in the DFW/Lewisville area?

I saw a couple of guys working that 'hustle' the other day. While they are shady characters, I don't think it's a robbery scenario. They're just selling cheap knock-off cologne. I was approaced outside a gas station in Garland with the same rap "you like cologne" but then the guys pitched it inside to the clerk and other customers. Annoying? Yes. Illegal?? Not likely.

What JayCee said - probably like the van full of "speakers my boss said to get rid of cheap"!! It would take more than a sniff of ether to render one defensless. You would have to put it in a bag and huff it (I understand kids are doing just that?) or pour some on a cloth and cover the mouth and nose. The old ether administration method was a kind of mask that had a screen and cloth on it - ether was dripped onto the mask and the fumes inhaled. Gave you the granddaddy of headaches - way worse than morphine.

couzin wrote:What JayCee said - probably like the van full of "speakers my boss said to get rid of cheap"!! It would take more than a sniff of ether to render one defensless. You would have to put it in a bag and huff it (I understand kids are doing just that?) or pour some on a cloth and cover the mouth and nose. The old ether administration method was a kind of mask that had a screen and cloth on it - ether was dripped onto the mask and the fumes inhaled. Gave you the granddaddy of headaches - way worse than morphine.

Coincidentally I know the ringleader of one of the bigger "white van scams" in DFW. He's a world class scumbag and apparently can't be touched by the law. For those not in the know they approach you in parking lots or in traffic with a story about getting "too many speakers" from the warehouse and they'll make you a great deal. Problem is the speakers are junk. Just google "white van scams" and "divinci speakers".

It will take far more than a sniff of ether to disable an adult.

I have very vivid memories of being put to sleep with ether to have my tonsils removed when I was 4 or so. If one sniff didn't knock out a 4-year-old, how much more would it take for an adult?

Pawpaw wrote:It will take far more than a sniff of ether to disable an adult.

I have very vivid memories of being put to sleep with ether to have my tonsils removed when I was 4 or so. If one sniff didn't knock out a 4-year-old, how much more would it take for an adult?

I am not sure you can knock out a four-year-old very easily; they have WAY too much energy. Now me on the other hand, i am always looking for a good excuse to take a nap. Shoot, even just my recliner puts me to sleep now.

glock27 wrote:ive heard that people will hand out flyers, business cards, cologne, and then when you get into your car. the fumes or what not put you to sleep, then get robbed.

i think i got this in a chain email but it sounds like the same type of scam....

also heard about people putting HIV needles in movie theater seats and gas pump handles...

http://WWW.SNOPES.COM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Great site for fact-checking. There's plenty of real things to be paranoid about and chances are the dangerous ones don't come with warnings in chain emails that have ciricled the globe a million times since Al Gore invented the internet.

Keith B wrote:Shoot, even just my recliner puts me to sleep now.

JayCee wrote:Coincidentally I know the ringleader of one of the bigger "white van scams" in DFW. He's a world class scumbag and apparently can't be touched by the law. For those not in the know they approach you in parking lots or in traffic with a story about getting "too many speakers" from the warehouse and they'll make you a great deal. Problem is the speakers are junk. Just google "white van scams" and "divinci speakers".

Starting to see a pattern here.... You, apparently, know far more low-life scum than the average Joe.

Remind me not to hang out with you.

Crossfire wrote:

JayCee wrote:Coincidentally I know the ringleader of one of the bigger "white van scams" in DFW. He's a world class scumbag and apparently can't be touched by the law. For those not in the know they approach you in parking lots or in traffic with a story about getting "too many speakers" from the warehouse and they'll make you a great deal. Problem is the speakers are junk. Just google "white van scams" and "divinci speakers".

Starting to see a pattern here.... You, apparently, know far more low-life scum than the average Joe.

Remind me not to hang out with you.

Amen to that.

As far as the people who approach me in parking lots and such, I don't even give them the chance anymore.
I just throw up my hand in a halting manner and tell them (depending on the circumstances)...
... "That's close enough..Not interested...or, Can't help you".

I've just heard too many made up sob stories and scams to be nice anymore.
I've also learned that you're just better off not letting strangers get that close to you.

Sounds a little cold but you can't take chances with those type of people these days.
They are not out there to "help a brother out".

It's a good thing I can look mean if I want to.

JayCee wrote:Coincidentally I know the ringleader of one of the bigger "white van scams" in DFW. He's a world class scumbag and apparently can't be touched by the law. For those not in the know they approach you in parking lots or in traffic with a story about getting "too many speakers" from the warehouse and they'll make you a great deal. Problem is the speakers are junk. Just google "white van scams" and "divinci speakers".

Man, are you the guy they talk about in all those Dos Equis commercials?

Pawpaw wrote:It will take far more than a sniff of ether to disable an adult.

It only happens that way in the movies.