The killer who uses a $5 bill to lure victims-Fiction!

Serial Killer Uses a $5 Bill to Lure His Victims-Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor: The email tells what is alleged to be a first-hand story of a citizen's close encounter with what may have been a killer that is on the loose in Lafayette, Louisiana. The witness says that at a gas station, he (or she) was approached by a clean-cut stranger who held a $5 bill up to his window and said he'd dropped it. The man knew how much money was in his pocket and that he had not dropped any money so he refused to open the window. At that point, the stranger is described as starting to hit the window and door and screaming so the victim drove away. The email says the victim works in a jail, told his story to the authorities, and was informed that he may have encountered the South Louisiana killer.

The Truth: There is no evidence that we can find that this story is true. It's like many other warning rumors that tell an unlikely story and with no identification of the writer or other details that could lead to verification. It came into being during a scary period in Southern Louisiana where a killer is believed to have taken the lives of at least five women. It is also one of many eRumors that warn of things like this happening at gas stations or in business parking lots. Last updated 11/19/03
A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:
Friends and family. I live in Alexandria, Va., but I work in Lafayette, La. sometimes, staying with friends when I'm there. As you know from America's Most Wanted TV program, as well as the news media, there is a serial killer in the Lafayette area. I just want to let you know about an "incident" that happened to me a few weeks ago, and could have been deadly. At first I didn't go to the police or anyone with it because I didn't realize how serious this encounter was. But since I work in a jail and I told a few people about it, it wasn't long before I was paraded into Internal Affairs to tell them my story. It was approximately 5:15 A.M. Opelousas, La. I had stayed with a friend there and was on my way to work. I stopped at the Exxon/Blimpie station to get gas. I got $10 gas and a Diet Coke... I took into the store two $5 bills and one $1 bill (just enough to get my stuff). As I pulled away from the store, a man approached my truck from the back side of the store (an unlit area). He was an "approachable-looking" man (clean cut, clean shaven, dressed well, etc.) He walked up to my window and knocked. Since I'm very paranoid and "always looking for the rapist or killer," I didn't open the window....I just asked what he wanted. He raised a $5 bill to my window and said "You dropped this." Since I knew I had gone into the store with a certain amount of money, I knew I didn't drop it. When I told him it wasn't mine, he began hitting the window and door, screaming at me to open my door, and insisting that I had dropped the money! At that point, I drove away as fast as I could. After talking to the Internal Affairs department and describing the man I saw and the way he escalated from calm and polite to angry and volatile....it was determined that I could have possibly encountered the serial killer myself. At this point, it is unclear as to how he gains access to his Victims, since there has been no evidence of forced entry into victim's homes, cars, etc. And the fact that he has been attacking in the daytime, when women are less likely to have their guard up, means he is pretty BOLD. (and think about it...what gesture is nicer than returning money to someone that dropped it?????) How many times would you have opened your window (or door) to get your money and say thank you.... because if the person is kind enough to return something to you, then he can't really be a threat.... can he???? Be cautious! This might not have been the serial killer...but anyone that gets that angry over someone not accepting money from them, can't have honorable intentions. The most important thing to note is that his reaction was NOT WHAT I EXPECTED! A total surprise! But what might have happened if I had opened my door? Forward this to everyone you know....maybe they can be as fortunate as I was! Ladies, really DO forward this to EVERYONE you know. Even if this man wasn't a serial k iller, he looked nice, he seemed polite, he was apparently doing an act of kindness, but HE WAS NOT A NICE PERSON!!! BEWARE! Keep your guard up, because you have no IDEA who the "bad guys"really are! And note: Researchers say that if you have seen someone before, or they seem vaguely familiar, or just are judged to be "ok" based on their appearance or their mannerisms, the average person no longer regards them as a "stranger," and will be way more trusting of them than they would be otherwise. But really, what do you know about this person? Even someone you have seen before? YOU DON'T KNOW A THING ABOUT THEM!!! DON'T BLINDLY TRUST. THINK OF YOUR SAFETY. IT'S OKAY TO IMAGINE THE WORST. IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!