Creative Identity Thief or Home Invader?

[lklawson]

Last night at 7:00, I was giving my 3yo a bath when the doorbell rang. A stranger wearing an ID badge and claiming to be from Vectren, our local natural gas supplier, was claiming to be there to "adjust" our "winter rates" and all he needed was our latest Vectren bill.

Red flags bloomed like false hope at an Obama convention.

Besides being 7:00 at night, because Vectren would already have a copy of the blasted bill that they flame'n sent us, I knew there was something hinkie.

Anyway, I answered the door armed with my cane and a, discreetly hidden, big freaking knife (I teach both) but the thought occurred to me that the fella might be more than just a creative (if somewhat transparent) Identity Thief. He might have been a Home Invader.

I told him I didn't have a copy of the bill. "What? You don't have a copy?" sez he? "Not for some random stranger at my door," I replied and sent him on his way.

Now, I'm good with my stick and knife, but I ain't stupid. So I up-armed immediately. My P32 can ride in my shorts pocket without giving me Plumber's Crack, even if the shorts aren't held up with a belt, but my P11 with the 12+1 mag and spare mag in the other side will drag it down like a Democrat controlled Congress pulling down the economy. So I opted for the crotch holster.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[chrispillertkd]

You might want to notify your natural gas company so they can warn their customers not to give out information to anyone claiming to work for them. It should be obvious not to divulge personal information to strangers, I know, but some people are trusting of anyone who looks "official" (in whatever capacity).

Pax,

Chris

 

[lklawson]

You might want to notify your natural gas company so they can warn their customers not to give out information to anyone claiming to work for them. It should be obvious not to divulge personal information to strangers, I know, but some people are trusting of anyone who looks "official" (in whatever capacity).

Pax,

Chris

I've given this serious consideration, as well as considering notifying my local LEO. For the time being I've decided against both because, in my experience it's a waste of time. Vectren already has a similar statement (buried somewhere on their website, ims) and calling the cops about a potential attempted crime that didn't happen is an exercise in futility.

One of my co-workers suggested that I attempt to verify with Vectren anyway and then call one of the local news outlets who might be interested in it as a newsworthy story. Lots of "bang for my buck" that way. Might pursue that.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[MJS]

I've given this serious consideration, as well as considering notifying my local LEO. For the time being I've decided against both because, in my experience it's a waste of time. Vectren already has a similar statement (buried somewhere on their website, ims) and calling the cops about a potential attempted crime that didn't happen is an exercise in futility.

Be that as it may, its still worth documenting, IMO. Will anything come of it? No idea. But, its a paper trail, in the event this guy is going house to house, casing the neighborhood.

One of my co-workers suggested that I attempt to verify with Vectren anyway and then call one of the local news outlets who might be interested in it as a newsworthy story. Lots of "bang for my buck" that way. Might pursue that.

Who will in turn possibly call the police to get more on the story, to which they'll have no idea as to what the news station is talking about. LOL.

 

[lklawson]

Good point.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I called my local law enforcement agency on their non-emergency line when a couple of guys came to my door offering to do home repairs and claiming to be from a local well-respected company. No ID, no fliers, no nothing, but they wanted to come in and look around; oh hell no. But when I called and reported them, the local gendarmes came out, contacted them, filled out FI cards on them, and discovered they were legit - but not licensed to do door-to-door sales in the neighborhood. No harm, no foul. But I always call in iffy situations like that. Better safe than sorry, I always say.

 

[jks9199]

I've given this serious consideration, as well as considering notifying my local LEO. For the time being I've decided against both because, in my experience it's a waste of time. Vectren already has a similar statement (buried somewhere on their website, ims) and calling the cops about a potential attempted crime that didn't happen is an exercise in futility.

One of my co-workers suggested that I attempt to verify with Vectren anyway and then call one of the local news outlets who might be interested in it as a newsworthy story. Lots of "bang for my buck" that way. Might pursue that.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

I can't address your local PD's professionalism, responsiveness, or effectiveness -- but you should have called them. You don't know what that little piece of information might lead to -- and it does no good if you sit on it.

 

[Carol]

You don't know that this was an isolated incident on your home.

There are many seemingly minor annoyances, or even minor crimes, that are committed as preparation for a much larger robbery or invasion. It is data collection. A knock on the door to see what kind of voice answers. A jar of a window to test an alarm. A kick of a basement door to see if that makes any dogs bark.

This happened to me twice when I was in college, and working a retail job. The first time, the first pass was someone broke a window to see how our alarm worked. The second pass, our alarm system was disabled and we got cleaned out.

The second time was more heinous. The first time, some men I didn't recognize came in to my store when I was closing up (alone). They said something like "They gotcha workin' all by your lonesome tonight?" Creeped me out, so I said no, my boss is in the back working on the books. I then picked up the phone and called my regional manager to drive the point home...its not like the guys knew that the manager I was talking to was 40 miles away.

When the guys came back, they didn't come back for me. They came back for the woman, working alone, next door to me at a small cell phone store. Two big guys, on a petite girl....it doesn't take much imagination to fill in the blanks.

Never dismiss this stuff as irrelevant. I'd report this to your PD straight away.