[Chat] Suspicious activity

[Joshua Fruhlinger]

A few years ago a single young man working by himself tried something similar with me, although in his case he claimed to be from Verizon (he had a clipboard with a photocopied Verizon logo taped to it) and wanted to sign me up for some discounted rate. It didn't ring true to me, because, obviously, wouldn't Verizon just call me?  But I did actually open to door and talk to him on my porch and he didn't try anythng untoward, and left politely when I told him I wasn't interested.  I always wondered what exactly his angle was -- I sort of thought that maybe it was an identity theft scam trying to get my signature.

jf

On Apr 20, 2011, at 12:02 AM, Stephen J Gewirtz wrote:

> A little before 6 p.m. this evening, my doorbell rang.  I opened the inner door but not the outer security door which can only be opened with a key.  On my porch were a couple, a black male and a white female, college age or more likely a little bit older.  They said that they had the wrong person.
> 
> A few minutes later, I opened the inner door again.  The couple were still there, and the man asked me to open the outer security door.  I refused.  He then tried to sell me on saving money by switching to a guaranteed fixed electric rate instead of paying BGE.  I told him that I was not interested, even though he persisted until I ended the conversation.  He was carrying a notebook.  The woman basically was silent.
> 
> Something did not add up.  How can they have the wrong person and then try to sell me something?  And why were they still there?  Anyway, I reported it to 911, to a JHU cop who was parked across the street a few minutes later, and to Northern District police who came moments later in response to my 911 call.  They said that  they would be looking for the couple.  I do not know whether, if I had opened my security door, the couple would have rushed in to grab something in my house or worse.  I have seen a report that in a nearby neighborhood, people have rung doorbells and asked for someone who does not exist on that block.  When they have found a house where nobody is home, they have broken in.
> 
> I write all this to urge that everyone be very careful about opening a door to a stranger.  And if things really do not add up but look suspicious, call 911.  What I encountered this evening may be legitimate, but my guess is that it is not.  And if it is part of a knock, run in and grab something, and run scheme or some other scheme, the police will definitely appreciate your giving them a heads up on what is happening.  After all, the cops cannot be everywhere, so we have to be additional eyes and ears for them.
> 
> Northern District does an excellent job, but we need to give them all the help we can.
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
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