FYI--Caution: New car jacking technique in Texas:

> THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED WITH DETECTIVE BLEDSOE OF THE MONTGOMERY
> COUNTY
> SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND IS EVIDENTLY HAPPENING IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY,
> TEXAS
> AND COULD BE HAPPENING NEAR YOU. BE CAREFUL AND TAKE NOTE.
> LIEUTENANT
> TONY BARTOLOME OF THE CONROE POLICE DEPARTMENT URGES EVERYONE TO
> KEEP
> THIS CIRCULATING. THE MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE AWARE OF THIS M.O. THE
> BETTER.------------------------------------------------------------
> ----------
>
> 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, and
> you
> look into the rearview
> mirror to back out of your parking space and 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) tha obstructing your view. When you reach the
> back of
> your car, that is when the car-jackers appear out of nowhere,
> jump into
> your car and take off! Your engine was running, (ladies would
> have
> their purse in the car) and they practically mow you down as they
> speed
> off in your car. BE AWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING
> USED.
> Just drive away and remove the paper that is stuck to your window
> later, and be thankful that
> you read this email.Hope you will forward this to friends and
> family...especially to women! A
> purse contains all identification, and you certainly do NOT want
> someone
> getting your home address. They already HAVE your keys!

nt

take that Desert Eagle out of your purse and bring it with you. When the carjacker (or jar jacker if they are stealing a carload of jam I suppose) anyway, when that mean ole carjacker jumps in your car, pump em full of some Texas Style Justice!

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 feel it's time to move 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:


http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/carjack.asp

on edit: I REALLY HAVE A PROBELM WITH PEOPLE PERPETUATING A CONSTANT STATE OF FEAR AND TRULY WISH PEOPLE WOULD CHECK THEIR FACTS WHEN CLAIMING THINGS LIKE THIS.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_carjacking.htm

It's plausible, could happen and probably has happened, but even after perusing dozens of newspaper accounts of recent carjackings across the United States, I still haven't managed to dig up a single report of this purported carjacking tactic actually being used. Police sources do warn drivers to be wary of strangers approaching with fliers (or asking for directions, or using other pretexts to get close to a vehicle), but, judging from the statistics, a typical carjacker is more likely to brandish a weapon and attempt to force you out of your car than to try to trick you into exiting of your own accord.

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/carjack.asp

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.

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 feel it's time to move 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.

--MORE--

Please check things like this out before wasting bandwtidth. See http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/carjack.asp

There may have been few if any carjackings using the described method, however there are many incidents of criminals taking advantage of unlocked vehicles.