door to door scammer?

Yesterday I was in my living room working on some final papers for school and Tiff says someone is walking up the driveway. I look up and see this kinda scummy looking guy walking up the driveway and opening my front gate. I get up and keep watch out my front window and he seems to be looking around alot almost like he was checking things out. We both meet him at the door with Tiff a little behind me. He has this greasy piece of laminated paper in his hand and mumbles something he is offering free carpet cleaning. All the while he seems to be trying to look around me and into the house. Guy creeps me out and I basically tell him to get lost and watch him walk all hunched over to a waiting Caravan across the street.

I tell Tiff about the dude creeping me out and she said I was being paranoid. Still when we left the house later I made sure all the windows were locked as well as the door to my garage and I left Odin our big Anatolian out.

So what do you think am I being paranoid or not?

I know I defended possible scammers in the other threads but this guy seems very apparent.

There are many cheaper ways to sell your services than going door to door. Mailers, business cards, etc.

The fact that he was looking past you is worrisome as well.

If you have an older neighbors, I'd talk to them and see if he tried selling services to them as well. Retires folks LOVE door-to-door sales because it reminds them of the old days, but I've heard of some older folks getting stuff stolen while others were "repairing roofs" or "cleaning gutters" or other things of that nature.

Sounds like the dude was trying to get into your house to look around, and you did the right thing. I would have introduced him to the dog, myself. Any time I open the door for someone I don't know - which is almost never - I make a show of how difficult it is to hold back my two pits.

I'd be a little extra vigilant the next few days. Make it look like you're home at all times, that sort of thing. But knowing that you're a more vigilant homeowner will probably mean this guy or his buddies won't be coming back to your place.

If you have enough information on him, it might be advisable to call in a tip into the local PD or neighborhood watch or whatever seems appropriate.

My first thought was that the Caravan was big enough to hold you big screen tv if you had not been home.
Was there another guy or two in the Caravan?

Can't hurt to keep locking things up, talk to the neighbors to have them help watch the place while you're out (and vise versa if they're worried about it too), leave lights on, etc.

I'm inclined to think he's probably just an unemployed somebody who's looking to make a few bucks. Maybe somebody looking to make a few bucks, and pocket a small valuable or two while he's at it. But then I'm a trusting person.

Something similar happened to me. We were broken into that night.

jrw1621 wrote: My first thought was that the Caravan was big enough to hold you big screen tv if you had not been home. Was there another guy or two in the Caravan?

There was at least a driver in the van I couldn't see more because the windows were all dark tinted in the back. Sadly the dogs were out back when the guy came or he never would have made it to the front gate. On my street most of my neighbors know me from when my grandparents lived here so I will go talk to them.

Oh I will add my hand was right at my hip pocket that had my SIG P230 sitting in it.

A proactive call to police with description of person and vehicle may be helpful if someone in your neighborhood was in fact not home and broken into.

jrw1621 wrote: A proactive call to police with description of person and vehicle may be helpful if someone in your neighborhood was in fact not home and broken into.

Especially if you have the tag number.

Those are definitely tactics used by burglars, but thats no proof thats what he is. I usually hold my Shepherd back while I talk through the screen door. She barks like hell. They usually get the point. Plus, the .45 worn at hip is a deterrent as well.

The best part of the whole alarm system is the yard sign which sell for big money but at $20, I think it is worth it.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=adt&_sacat=0

Get a real sign, from a real company that is popular in your area.
If you really care, mount a fake keypad on the wall that can be seen from the doors of the house.
$10 on ebay will get you a legit but not working keypad.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PARTS-ONLY-APEX-RK-36-Alarm-Keypad-RK36-apex-2100e-Defender-II-Destiny-4100-6100-/160818676691?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25718a43d3
http://www.ebay.com/itm/used-napco-alarm-keypads-/221043074570?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337731a60a

I have moved a sign like this to 3 homes. Shortly after I moved out of my first house (and took the sign with me) the buyers were broken into. Not absolute proof but I had been there for 8 years and I can not really say that the neighborhood had "changed."

The whole goal here is to make someone else's house look like an easier target.

We had the blacktop sealer guy at my old house that started telling me how crappy my driveway was. Please leave.

The older lady in our 'hood fell for it. Unmarked pickup truck with small tanks, hose reel, and a compressor mounted below the bed rails. Gets out and quickly sprays the driveway. Smelled like enamel paint. 1 year later my father-in-law falls for it.

Legal? Yes. Pricey? The lady paid $350 where $125 would covered it from the local fireman seal coaters. She did it for Father's day while he was working at the car dealer as a finance manager Ethical? Karma?

In my area its more rural and most folks don't even lock their doors. It took me a long while to get Tiff into locking doors on the house and cars. That being said there are no real alarm companies that are popular for the area. I will look around though see if I can find a common one. Most peoples security around here are dogs and guns.

Look in your local phone book under "Security"
ADT is a big national player.
Brinks is another.

It might be that he was casing the house, but the "free carpet cleaning" thing is a standard sales line for the overpriced vacuum cleaners like Kirby. They offer the free carpet cleaning and if you say yes they haul the vacuum cleaner in, toss some dirt down, suck it back up, and then start the hard sell on a $1200+ vacuum cleaner that doesn't perform as well as a mainstream brand. Meanwhile you have this pair of scummy guys in your house with their eyes all over your stuff. I haven't had them in my house but have heard the horror stories, including some from elderly people that ended up buying the vacuums.

The "sales people" are paid on commission only and so tend to be pretty undereducated and aggressive.

Door to door burglars were in the local paper just yesterday. They pretend to be selling something, but are actually scoping houses to break into. They caught one guy when he was coming out a back door in the middle of the afternoon. Neighbors made the call.

I use neighbors as part of my tripod of security: 1) Nosy neighbors who know our routine and can spot something that is amiss. 2) Black muscular pitbull if you get past the neighbors 3) 12ga in case you actually take a chance on the pitbull and find out that he is a big slobbery baby.

there were some kids that got caught in the next county over a while back, they would drive around during the day and send a girl to the door to ring the bell. if anyone answered they'd say they were looking for "Brandi" and leave. if no one answered, they'd come back in 15-20 minutes and ring again, if again no answer, they'd go kick the back door in. they were mainly looking for cash, guns and liquor, they'd get a hotel room with the cash, or sell the guns for cash on the street for the hotel, drink the booze, and then go back and hit more places when they ran out.

there was a group that was hitting our neighborhood in a similar manner around the same time, seems fairly common skeez tactic.

In reply to dculberson:

The funny thing is up until earlier this year when she was laid off Tiff was the best carpet cleaner in town. I also inherited one of those Kirby vacs from my grandparents, it is ok but I prefer my old bagless.

My neighbors mostly keep an eye on each others houses but I have a large porch and a front door that doesn't face the street. I have the two Anatolians in the front yard most of the time but they are still only 8 months old. I normally have my side arm on me because I carry whenever I leave the house and there is a 12 ga ready to go.

One trick of the gypsy's (actually the travelers) is to occupy you at the front door, while a cohort goes in the back door.

Or they get you to come outside to look at your meter, etc while the cohort goes in the front. They are uncannily aware of where you store of hide your silver and other valuables. I strongly suspect I had a visit from these people while I was tilling my garden one day.

There are times to make sure you get a tag number, and write down a description of the person and the vehicle while it's fresh in your mind.

IMO, this was one of those times.

That said, it probably was nothing.

This is a common tactic for daytime burglars. Nobody home? Come on in!! You handled it fine, but let the cops know about it.

foxtrapper wrote: There are times to make sure you get a tag number, and write down a description of the person and the vehicle while it's fresh in your mind. IMO, this was one of those times.

On more than one occasion, I have let them see me walk out to the road and take a picture of their vehicle and tag.

spitfirebill wrote: One trick of the gypsy's (actually the travelers) is to occupy you at the front door, while a cohort goes in the back door.

Damn gypsies.

Anti-stance wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: One trick of the gypsy's (actually the travelers) is to occupy you at the front door, while a cohort goes in the back door.

Damn gypsies.

"do not fear me gypsie, i only want your tears!"

Anti-stance wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: One trick of the gypsy's (actually the travelers) is to occupy you at the front door, while a cohort goes in the back door.

Damn gypsies.

"do not fear me gypsie, i only want your tears!"