Official: E-mail incident not true

Web posted July 29, 1998

By Keith Paul
Morris News Service

SAVANNAH -- Sometimes rumors cause as much fear as real crimes, such as gossip about an alleged incident at Savannah Mall that spread faster and further than the usual word of mouth because of e-mail and fax machines.

An e-mail message has been copied and retransmitted several times about an incident that police determined never happened. Rumors have circulated about similar incidents at other malls around the country recently.

The oft-copied message claimed a man in a business suit offered to fix a woman's flat tire if she'd put his briefcase in her car for safekeeping. After changing the tire, the man asked for a ride to his car, but the woman got nervous and fled.

When she returned with an officer, the man was gone but his briefcase still in her car contained ``a long length of rope and a very sharp knife,'' according to the e-mail message.

Police were able to finally trace the original sender in Savannah, who said the story had actually come from an aunt who told another aunt who told her mother, said Capt. Dave LaGrange.

``We took it very seriously and investigated it,'' he said. ``It just wasn't true. It didn't happen.''

Savannah Mall security officials also searched their records for any mention of the incident. Nothing, said Quentin Woodward Jr., director of public safety for Savannah Mall. ``I didn't find anything in the records.''

The author of the hoax is not facing any charges because Capt. LaGrange said spreading a rumor isn't illegal.

About four months ago, the same story circulated around Columbus, Ohio, by e-mail and fax. Within 36 hours, officials at The Mall at Tuttle Crossing estimated 500,000 people had received it.

Managers there said they received calls from officials at malls in California and Connecticut who were experiencing similar stories.

The Internet shouldn't be blamed, said Joyce Flory, an author and Internet expert in Chicago.

``Stories and rumors were spread before the Internet. The Internet was just the channel,'' she said.

However, the Internet does allow people who want to create mischief an easier way to remain anonymous, Ms. Flory said.

Savannah Mall officials don't know whether the hoax will hurt business. But the rumors are still going strong.

``I've seen people walking with copies of the message,'' said Nathan Kelly, Savannah Mall general manager. ``I've gotten calls at my house asking about it. Someone told me (the story) was announced at their church over the weekend.''

Savannah police decided to use their own Internet access to counter the rumor. On the department's Web site at www.savannahpd.org, Capt. LaGrange has posted a notice saying the story was investigated but is false.