Urban Legends About Crime, part II

The following scam is targeting women in particular.
They received a phone call from the Post Office asking them to confirm their company's ZIP code. When this is given, they are told that they have become eligible for some gift vouchers for their co-operation and are asked to provide their home address and ZIP code in order to receive the vouchers.
So far 90% of the women who have provided this information have been burgled as it is assumed that their homes are empty during office hours. The police are aware of this scam and the Post Office has confirmed that they are NOT conducting such surveys.

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I was told not to go shopping at the Mall of America because men hiding under cars are robbing women. The woman approaches her car while carrying an armful of packages, and while she unlocks her door, a guy hiding underneath her car slashes her Achilles tendon with a razor so she can't run away.

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A woman in Spokane, WA, came home from grocery shopping and found her back door was open. She didn't think much about it, she lived in a part of town where the neighbors all knew each other and doors were rarely left unlocked. She assumed a neighbor had just dropped by and forgot to close it completely.
When she got into the kitchen, though, she found her Doberman on the floor in obvious distress. She grabbed her dog and raced to the vet.
The vet told her to leave her dog and that he'd call when he knew something.
When she got home, her phone was ringing. It was the vet. He told her to leave the house immediately and to call the police. Frightened and confused, the woman leaves and calls 9-1-1 from a neighbor's house.
The police discover an agonized and bleeding burglar in a hall closet-minus the three fingers the vet found in the Doberman's throat.

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Some urban legends are easy to identify; others are more difficult. The old saying, "if it's too good to be true, it usually is," applies here, particularly in cases of free stuff. Most urban legends feature an amazing coincidence, punchline, or lesson. If someone tells you about an incident and it sounds a little fishy, be skeptical.

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