Hoax – Criminals are allegedly placing roses on car door handles and using a substance called scopolamine (or zombie powder) to drug and control victims during robberies.
Analysis
Videos and posts on social media from various countries have been spreading an alert with an alarmist tone. According to the content, criminals are allegedly leaving roses on car door handles with the intention of drugging victims using a substance known as scopolamine, also called “zombie powder.” The alleged scam, according to the reports, is already occurring in several Latin American countries, including Brazil.
Influencers present the warning dramatically, claiming that merely touching or smelling the flower would lead to immediate submission of the victim. From there, they would be induced to provide bank data, hand over the car, or even perform transfers. The narrative also includes guidance on mistakes not to make and advice to share the story with as many people as possible. Read texts and transcripts:
Versão 1: Beware of the rose on your car door! If there’s a rose on your car door, be careful, it’s not romantic at all. This is a new scam that unfortunately started in Colombia and is spreading throughout Latin America. It’s being widely reported to protect you. Before it reaches here, don’t make these 3 mistakes — I’ll explain how it works.
Versão 2: Mistake number 1. Do not touch anything placed on your car door — no flower, nothing. Number 2. Watch your surroundings. This is a scam where the person already knows who you are, your routine, and is likely close to where you parked your car. Mistake number 3, the worst: smelling it. Thinking it was left by your boyfriend, spouse or partner — at that moment you become totally vulnerable, because this flower has a powder known as zombie powder. It’s so dangerous it must be handled with gloves. High doses cause amnesia, passive obedience and mental confusion — a criminal can easily control you like a puppet, make you open banking apps or even drive you in your own car to a bank agency. And you know the damage that can follow. So protect yourself and stay safe.
Versão 3: Attention! If you find a rose on your car door, be very careful! It may signal danger related to kidnapping or robbery. Do not touch it and call the police immediately. Your safety is most important.
Versão 4: This is the most dangerous thing that can happen to you. If you find a flower on your car, be very careful — you are risking your life. Someone will leave a flower on your car, as I’m doing. Watch it closely. This has been happening since last year, and no one has reported it. It’s extremely important you tell your mom, friend, girlfriend, acquaintance — their lives are in danger. I’ll tell you the three mistakes you’ll make if you don’t know this info. First mistake: you’ll see a flower on your car and say, “Oh, it’s a gesture from my boyfriend, friend, secret admirer.” But the first mistake is touching the flower. You don’t know someone is watching you. That’s the second mistake. You must be aware of your surroundings at all times. And that’s your third and last mistake, the worst of all.
When someone gives you a flower, humans usually smell it — and that’s the worst. ## give me the keys. And you’re asking yourself: how did I give him the keys so easily? And if you resist? Well, that’s the biggest problem of this scam. It’s 100% effective. And now pay attention to where this will lead me and where it brought me. He’s 100% in control of me. Best case scenario, it will drain all my accounts. But imagine if it was a woman. I’ll now explain how this happened and how to avoid it. This is the substance they use in the flower: scopolamine — so dangerous you need gloves to handle it. This substance originates from Colombia and is becoming quite famous across Latin America. And it’s extremely dangerous because you basically become someone’s puppet. So if you find a flower specifically on your car door handle, don’t open it, don’t smell it, don’t touch it. Step away as fast as possible and go to a safe location — somewhere with people. Then call an emergency contact or the authorities. Please inform all your friends about these types of scams — it’s the only way to stop them.
Check
The story generated millions of views, but it’s fake. The viral content raised three key questions that need clarification in the fact-check: 1) Are criminals using roses on car handles to carry out robberies with zombie powder or scopolamine? 2) Are there similar fake news about a rose on the car handle? 3) Are there documented robberies involving scopolamine?
Are criminals using roses on car handles to carry out robberies with zombie powder or scopolamine?
No. There is no reliable record, police report or investigation confirming this type of criminal tactic. Scopolamine, also known as “zombie powder”, is a dangerous substance used in medical settings, but its use as described in the videos is highly unlikely.
Are there similar fake news about the rose on the car handle?
Yes. The tactic of spreading panic through supposed scams involving dangerous substances is not new. Alerts have circulated before about the so‑called “death-scent perfume”, escopolamina-laced flyers or robberies using children and elderly as bait. All these cases follow the same pattern: appealing to fear, lacking reliable sources, and spreading rapidly on social media.
Are there robberies involving scopolamine or zombie powder documented?
Although scopolamine exists and has a history of isolated criminal use in countries like Colombia, there’s no documented case in Brazil involving the substance in flowers or car handles. The idea that the drug would work so immediately and precisely upon touch or smell is overly simplistic and incompatible with pharmacological reality. Zombie‑powder fake news have been debunked in other versions, and there’s no credible report on its actual use.
Conclusion
The alleged scam with roses containing scopolamine left on car door handles is false. There’s no record, report, or real case proving this type of crime. It’s another alarmist narrative recycling old hoaxes about mysterious substances used in robberies.
Fake news ❌
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