After more than two years of online education, university students are now back in their dorms to attend physical classes in their respective schools. While this move ultimately helps undergraduates focus on their studies and live the college lives they deserve, those with malicious intentions take advantage of this by targeting students simply running errands near their universities.
On April 26, a Facebook user named Stephanie Jean wrote a post recounting her sister’s experience of being targeted by a "modus operandi" near University of the Philippines Los Baños.
“NEW MODUS!!! PLEASE INFORM EVERYONE ABOUT THIS!!!! So my little sister just called me minutes ago telling me what happened to her in Los Baños. Basically, there’s this [drug store] near her school (UPLB) and she went there at around 5PM,” she wrote.
Accordingly, at the drug store, there was a lady in her 30s or 40s who asked her sister if she could “smell” something from a piece of paper after claiming that she couldn’t smell anything.
“My sister got the little paper, took a whiff, and told her it smells okay naman. Then, she literally disappeared right after.”
After the lady disappeared from her sight, two strangers immediately entered the store, whom her sister noticed were following her before she even went inside.
“She immediately felt unsafe. She stayed near the guard, and 30 mins after she felt that half of her body became numb,” the original poster (OP) wrote. “The two people with the old lady stayed in the store for like a long while, circling the store and WATCHING HER. She was still standing next to the guard. A few minutes later, she saw them get one small thing. She stayed with the guard before she asked her friend to pick her up.”
A few hours after the incident, OP’s sister was still feeling “very drowsy" and "couldn’t feel half her body.”
She added, “I don’t know what’s on that ‘perfume’ but it’s definitely sketchy. I don’t know what kind of modus this is, but imagine what could have happened. Loss of sensation and knocks you [out]? Could be a rape/kidnap modus and this is very SCARY. Please be alarmed and STAY SAFE.”
In cases like this, experts advise to be aware of your surroundings and to implement a buddy system, as much as possible. If you think you’re being followed or approached by a stranger, immediately run to a safe place. You should not speak or accept anything from them.
Stay vigilant and safe, everyone!
*This story originally appeared on Candymag.com. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.
