Are crooks drugging victims with breath mints in Texas and Arizona? Fact Check
A warning spreading on social media warns of what it claims to be the “newest” way of sex trafficking whereas criminals will pass drugs disguised as breath mints to unsuspecting women in order to incapacitate them.
UNSUPPORTED
The warning goes on to claim that this is happening prolifically in border states Texas and Arizona. An example of the warning can be read below –
OK..LISTEN UP! ITS IMPORTANT. WARN YOUR WIVES, DAUGHTERS, SISTERS, GRANDKIDS the newest thing it striking up an innocent conversation. the guy then says “hey. no offense, but you have bad breath and offers a mint or lifesaver. looks like the real deal even in a new package BUT they are the new date rape drug and also laced with fentanyl for the sex trafficking trade. yes, it’s happening and they are slick. please warn all, particularly young kids and females as once across the border, you are done. it’s a living nightmare.
keep it cool, use your head but it’s getting so bad here in Arizona and in Texas its scary .
Warnings that purport to describe the “latest” or “trending” method used by gangs of criminals to commit particular crimes – such as rape, sex trafficking, carjacking, kidnapping and so forth – are commonplace online.
But in most cases, such warnings are significantly exaggerated, embellished or more often than not, simply made up. This has led to the term “scarelore” being coined to describe such warnings.
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The warning above can most likely be described as an example of “scarelore”. The warning conveys a potentially dangerous situation that is not outside the realms of possibility from actually happening, and offers some good advice for one to help protect themselves. However the warning then goes on to baselessly claim that not only has this crime occurred before, but that it is a “trending” and “new” type of crime, occurring prolifically in certain areas, despite offering no evidence to support that conclusion.
If crooks had indeed took to the streets in certain states, with the modus operandi of offering unsuspecting women breath mints in order to kidnap them for a journey across the [presumably] Mexican border, there are no police reports or warning available describing such a crime. Nor are there any media reports. Nor any explanation as to how the author of the warning above came to learn about such a crime that has not been reported elsewhere online by any relevant entity.
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A spokesperson from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center – the relevant entity in the United States concerning this type of crime, told us they were “not aware of this warning” and “not aware of any cases being reported of the behavior described.”
Additionally a spokesperson for the SAFE Alliance Austin in Texas stated that they “haven’t heard of that specific tactic here” but still warned people to say “no thanks” if offered anything by a stranger.
We also reached out to the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) who told us they “have not heard about anything like this happening in Texas”
Regardless of the legitimacy of this particular warning, it is true that various drugs, including date rape drugs, can take on the appearance of innocent mints, and as such it is recommended never to take mints (or indeed any foodstuff) from strangers that you meet, in what is a moral adage similar to the kids favorite “never take candy from a stranger.”
However given that there are no reliable reports from any authorities or relevant agencies about this purported crime, we don’t recommend spreading alarmist and unsupported claims either, since they detract from serious issues and pollute an important subject with pointless misinformation.
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