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Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer (To Real) Than They Are

Date Added: Mar. 4, 2004
Last Updated: Mar. 4, 2004

E-mail chain-letters warning of 'new' criminal schemes to separate you from your belongings often read more like 'how-to' guides for thieves than a self-defense tip. This one is likely just another urban-legend type warning that took someone's imagining of a scheme that could work and crafted it as a warning about a scheme that supposedly is happening.

>Like the ether disguised as perfume abduction scheme, ankle-slashing gang member initiation scheme, shopping mall abductions scheme and the naked-in-the-restroom theft ploy warnings before it, this one incorporates many elements of urban legend:

• It describes a scenario that is technically possible and describes it with surprising detail, even though it neither presents evidence that such a crime has been or is being committed, nor does it explain how the author came to be an expert on the subject.
• While virtually anybody could fall victim to such a scheme, the warning is targeted at single women shopping alone. Young, single women who choose to work, live, travel or shop alone are often stereotyped in legendry as being more at risk from clever criminals.
• The criminal succeeds by playing on the victim's vulnerabilities and impulse actions.
• The attackers come "from out of nowhere."
• The solution suggested is always simple, yet specific to the scheme as it is described and not general enough to be of any good use.

So, is there anything to this warning? It offers no concrete proof that it's happening, nor can I find any reliable media account of such a scheme being carried out. In fact, the letter resembles someone's creative imaginings of a crime that could happen, not one that is.

While the scenario is definitely possible, it is not plausible for many reasons. To understand the main reasons, we must first understand the difference between a car-jacker and a car-thief.

• Car-jacking is most often a crime of opportunity, committed by folks who need some fast cash, a quick get-away or a cheap thrill. Most car-jackings occur in locations where the vehicle is likely to be running, though standing still (e.g. intersections, car-washes, drive-thru lines, freeway ramps). A clear exit path is desirable, making intersections and drive-throughs popular target zones. While some car-jackers have been known to lure their victims in with clever ploys (distributing fliers, asking directions or appearing to need assistance), the bait is more for getting the criminal close to your vehicle than getting you out of it. Car-jackers most often use force (including weapons) to remove you from your vehicle.
• Car-theft is much more likely to employ an elaborate scheme like the one described above. Unlike the car-jacker, the principle goal of a car-thief is to nab a vehicle that can be resold or stripped for parts. Since the vehicles are often altered or dismantled before reselling, thieves typically don't mind inflicting a bit of damage to the vehicle in order to obtain it. However, there has been a rise in car-theft techniques that endeavor to get the vehicle with little or no damage. These schemes are often highly elaborate and usually reserved for high-end vehicles with good resale values.

The scheme described above would appear to be better suited for car-thieves than car-jackers, as it would require a great deal of planning and waiting. This may seem like a pointless matter of semantics, but it goes a long way toward showing the implausibility of such a scheme. The typical car-jacker would find it too complicated, while the car-thief would prefer to nab the vehicle when there is no risk of getting caught.

But it's implausible for two additional, simpler reasons:

• If you are parked in a parking lot, in a position that you would have to back out of the space (head-in), you would most likely approach your vehicle from the rear and would, thus, see the flier on your approach (exceptions would be strip malls and head-in streetside parking - in these cases, better advice might be to park in a place where you'd have to approach from the rear).
• If you notice the flier on the window as you are backing out, you would most likely pull back into your space (or not have been completely out of it) before stopping to get out, so as to not block traffic. This would make a quick get-away difficult because the thief would have to back out of the spot before speeding off.

Warnings like these also tend to offer very specific advice to avoid being taken by the particular scheme described, thus often missing the broader picture.

Most importantly, to avoid being a victim of this or any other type of crime that could happen in a parking lot, be aware of your surroundings and look for anything out of the ordinary. Too often, we are in a hurry to get to our next destination and we don't pay attention to things in our immediate vicinity.

Oh, and never rely on anonymously authored and haphazardly forwarded e-mail chain letters for your personal safety, either. Break this chain.

References: About.com, Snopes.com

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