"From the Homewatch Desk"

Dear Coordinator,

A fellow coordinator has forwarded me an email that he has received to shed some light on its validity. Having had a check online this appears to be one of the common hoax, scam emails that circulates seemingly to cause concern for no legitimate reason. As always there are signs such as the lack of specific details with regards to names and dates, the fact that it claims to be verified, the fact it urges you to send this on to friends, especially women and the far fetched method that the offender is using to achieve their means.

I suspect that this has originated in America and been adapted as with many of these emails to suit the country it is now circulating around. In a brief search I have found copies of this email going around the internet since at least 2002. Out of interest to show how these emails get adapted slightly over time for various reasons, I have pasted the older version that I have found below the version forwarded to me below, these are named 'Recent English Version' & 'Older US Version'. If you have a quick look you will see the body of the original email is the same but certain elements such as where travelling, number to dial, number of police cars attending etc are changed but it is undeniably the same email adapted over time. Sometimes elements may be added or taken away to such email, for example the English one claims it is verified by Dorset Police to give it authenticity and it appears to combine in a further hoax email relating to the use of 112 from a mobile phone.

The claims that the English email make about '112' are incorrect. In reality you can get through to the police dialling 112, 999 or indeed 911 from mobiles. This is mainly to accommodate the fact that visitors from other countries who may not know the local emergency number may instinctively dial their country's emergency code in their phone. However, if your phone is without signal, there is no special number that allows you to get through to the police and it is therefore advisable as always to dial '999' in the case of an emergency. Logically, without a signal how would your phone connect to an operator. The number mentioned on the older email is one that links to the state of Virginia for reporting traffic issues.

Please don't pass this email on, as with others of this nature they cause undue panic. By all means make people aware that this is a chain email so that they can break the chain and make people aware this is a fake if they receive it.

Regards

Home Watch Desk

Recent English Version
I know you don’t all live in Dorset but a mobile is a mobile where ever you live. I didn't know about 112 did you?

A bit of useful advice - verified by the Dorset Police.
The number does work from a mobile.
This actually happened to someone's daughter. Lauren was 19 yrs old and in college.
This story takes place over the Christmas/New Year's holiday break.

It was the Saturday before New Year and it was about 1.00pm in the afternoon, and Lauren was driving to visit a friend, when an UNMARKED police car pulled up behind her and put its lights on. Lauren's parents have 4 children (of various ages) and have always told them never to pull over for an unmarked car on the side of the road, but rather wait until they get to a service station, etc.
So Lauren remembered her parents' advice, and telephoned 112 from her mobile phone.
This connected her to the police dispatcher she told the dispatcher that there was an unmarked police car with a flashing blue light on his rooftop behind her and that she would not pull over right away but wait until she was in a service station or busy area.
The dispatcher checked to see if there was a police car where she was and there wasn't and he told her to keep driving, remain calm and that he had back-up already on the way.
Ten minutes later 4 police cars surrounded her and the unmarked car behind her.
One policeman went to her side and the others surrounded the car behind.
They pulled the guy from the car and tackled him to the ground........the man was a convicted rapist and wanted for other crimes.
I never knew that bit of advice, but especially for a woman alone in a car, you do not have to pull over for an UNMARKED car.
Apparently police have to respect your right to keep going to a 'safe' place.
You obviously need to make some signals that you acknowledge them I.e., put on your hazard lights) or call 112 like Lauren did.
Too bad the mobile phone companies don't give you this little bit of wonderful information.
So now it's your turn to let your friends know about 112 (112 is an emergency number on your mobile that takes you straight to the police because 999 does not work if you have no signal).
This is good information that I did not know!

Please pass on to all your friends, especially any females.

As far as I am aware, 112 uses a system called triangulation so they can also pinpoint exactly where you are phoning from.

Older US Version
This is an actual true story and not one of those Internet stories that are passed on and on. This actually happened to one of my dearest new friend's daughter. Her daughter, Lauren, is 19 yrs. old and a sophomore in college. This happened to her over the Christmas/New Year's holiday break.
It was the Saturday before New Year's and it was about 1 pm in the afternoon. Lauren was driving from here (Winchester, Va.) to visit a friend in Warrenton. For those of you who are familiar with the area, she was taking Rt. 50 East towards Middleburg and then was going to cut over to I-66 via Rt. 17. Those of you who aren't familiar with this area, Rt. 50 East is a main road (55 mph and two lanes each side with a big median separating East/West lanes), but is somewhat secluded, known for it's big horse farms and beautiful country estates.

Lauren was actually following behind a state police car shortly after she left Winchester and was going just over 65 mph since she was following behind him. An UNMARKED police car pulled up behind her and put his lights on. My friend and her husband have 4 children (high school and college age) and have always told them never to pull over for an unmarked car on the side of the road, but rather wait until they get to a gas station, etc. So Lauren actually listened to her parents advice, and promptly called #77 on her cell phone to tell the dispatcher that she would not pull over right away. She proceeded to tell the dispatcher that there were 2 police cars, one unmarked behind her and one marked in front of her. The dispatcher checked to confirm that there were 2 police cars where she was. There wasn't and she was connected to the policeman in front of her. He told her to keep driving, remain calm and that he had back-up already on the way.

Ten minutes later, 4 police cars surrounded her and the unmarked car behind her. One policeman went to her side and the others surrounded the car behind. They pulled the guy from the car and tackled him to the ground .. the man was a convicted rapist and wanted for other crimes. Thank God Lauren listened to her parents! She was shaken up, but fine.

I never knew that bit of advice, but especially for a woman alone in a car, you should NEVER pull over for an unmarked car in a secluded area. In fact, even a marked car after dark should follow you to a populated area. Apparently police have to respect your right to keep going to a "safe" place. You obviously need to make some signals that you acknowledge them (i.e. put on your hazard lights) or call #77 like Lauren did.

I am so thankful that my friend was sitting at our book club meeting telling us this scary story, rather than us at her house consoling her had something tragic occurred!

Be safe and pass this on to your friends. Awareness is everything!