View Full Version : Think I just got cased.
TheWeeze
03-29-2013, 20:57
So my wife and I are sitting at home tonight, and a knock comes to the door. A big, grubby looking guy tells me they're cleaning carpets in the building and have had complaints that mine was dirty, said they're here to clean it. I chuckle thinking he was trying to sell me something, then asks if he can come in and clean them. I tell him no, then asks why and I tell him it's because it's late on a Friday night. He kinda asked again to come in, I tell him no again and they left when I said it. Anybody ever been cased before?? Any suggestions? Should I call the police and let them know what's up? I mean I live in an apartment complex, people don't do work like that unless the office gives prior approval and give everybody a heads up. Kind of don't know what to do.
Needless to say the AR is sleeping next to the bed tonight.
Call the police and report the circumstances without delay. That is why they are there.
Aloha_Shooter
03-29-2013, 21:00
Get a solid description of him down before you forget and forward to the building manager and police. Does your complex have a locked common entrance or can he get in the common areas without knowing anyone there?
make sure to also talk with your neighbors to see if they were contacted
He's a salesman. Have had the exact same thing here. They're just trying to push a product.
Jesus the people on this forum. I suspect half the posters here will be dead of an aneurysm before the end of the decade.
I'd call the non-emergency number of the local PD, and I'd also let the landlord know. I'd write down as much as I could remember of what he looked like, too, before you forget.
Lock the door and prop a chair under the knob.
I've had both scammers and possible burglars try their thing; so far I've been fortunate because I never answer the door without my cell phone (with camera) in my hand, and I never, EVER let them in the house.
Tinelement
03-29-2013, 21:03
YD3zIA6vJkQ
He's a salesman. Have had the exact same thing here. They're just trying to push a product.
Jesus the people on this forum. I suspect half the posters here will be dead of an aneurysm before the end of the decade.
Are you an idiot? It's freakin apartment complex. They don't clean the carpet when someone lives there, nor would a "salesman" ever waste their time trying to sell carpet cleaning services to the tenants in a complex. They'd arrange that with the property manager....
BPTactical
03-29-2013, 21:16
Call pd, call management.
Keep vigilant
A carpet cleaner doesn't care who pays for it.
LigersRCool
03-29-2013, 21:21
24817
He's a salesman. Have had the exact same thing here. They're just trying to push a product.
Jesus the people on this forum. I suspect half the posters here will be dead of an aneurysm before the end of the decade.
^^this, its almost as bad as the we sit here and talk guns and weapons all day, but if you put up a picture of yours they are going to come knocking crowd......
Should have held him hostage in a closet until you could verify employment. That would have been the right thing to do
Should have held him hostage in a closet until you could verify employment. That would have been the right thing to do
or fire a couple of rounds into the air with your shotgun, if he was a real bad guy that would run him off, or at least that is what I heard someone say on tv the other day.
24817
HAH! That's the exact picture I was thinking of for this thread!
24817
Best contribution to the thread by far.
Should have held him hostage in a closet until you could verify employment. That would have been the right thing to do
That happened to a guy I knew who worked for Geek Squad.
Stevensje
03-29-2013, 21:33
I bet he would try to sell you a rainbow vacuum cleaner.
So my wife and I are sitting at home tonight, and a knock comes to the door. A big, grubby looking guy tells me they're cleaning carpets in the building and have had complaints that mine was dirty, said they're here to clean it. I chuckle thinking he was trying to sell me something, then asks if he can come in and clean them. I tell him no, then asks why and I tell him it's because it's late on a Friday night. He kinda asked again to come in, I tell him no again and they left when I said it. Anybody ever been cased before?? Any suggestions? Should I call the police and let them know what's up? I mean I live in an apartment complex, people don't do work like that unless the office gives prior approval and give everybody a heads up. Kind of don't know what to do.
Needless to say the AR is sleeping next to the bed tonight.
"have had complaints that mine was dirty" that's actually a pretty suspicious statement IMO. In all the years I've lived in apartments, the carpets only got cleaned when I wanted them cleaned or after I moved out, and even then during normal business hours with sufficient notice. Any kind of after-hours carpet cleaning has only been a maintenance emergency related deal.
BPTactical
03-29-2013, 21:34
or fire a couple of rounds into the air with your shotgun, if he was a real bad guy that would run him off, or at least that is what I heard someone say on tv the other day.
Or let a couple fly through the door......Joe said so.
As apartment management that's suspicious as hell on so many levels.
palepainter
03-29-2013, 21:53
Suppression fire comes to mind....
As apartment management that's suspicious as hell on so many levels.
My sister runs 7 complexes in GA and I've lived in 2 there, and 2 here before buying my house....based on my experience, understanding of how these things are usually done, and the comments made to the OP, I am very confident that the OP is not over reacting. Granted, the "Salesman" most likely will not be back to bother them, he quite likely will find an unoccupied unit and break in...
I've had people knock on the door to the house during evening hours (1800-2000). I don't ever answer the door and when they start with the whole, "I work for (insert BS name here) and we're doing free (insert BS inspection here) in the area and wanted to blah blah blah." I tell them I'm 100% not interested and have a good night. If they get pushy or demand the door open, they get to talk to angry guys in blue uniforms. Just because Ridge doesn't answer the door because he's too busy playing with his "Little Pony" dolls doesn't mean I'm paranoid for thinking things are suspicious when I get a knock at my door after the sun goes down. Better safe than sorry.
That happened to a guy I knew who worked for Geek Squad.
so was he a legit employee or casing people?
rockhound
03-29-2013, 22:29
Or let a couple fly through the door......Joe said so.
bert... you beat me to it, your kung fu is faster
Just because Ridge doesn't answer the door because he's too busy playing with his "Little Pony" dolls doesn't mean I'm paranoid for thinking things are suspicious when I get a knock at my door after the sun goes down.
Oh no he didnt!
Great-Kazoo
03-29-2013, 22:50
I'm still wondering WHY you opened the door??[facepalm]
KestrelBike
03-29-2013, 23:32
My sister runs 7 complexes in GA and I've lived in 2 there, and 2 here before buying my house....based on my experience, understanding of how these things are usually done, and the comments made to the OP, I am very confident that the OP is not over reacting. Granted, the "Salesman" most likely will not be back to bother them, he quite likely will find an unoccupied unit and break in...
Gonna have to agree w everything sawin's said. Seriously, imagine if the OP had een burglarized, then said "and it sucks because this nice random gentleman had cleaned the carpets just a couple days before!", told the circumstances of that, and then you guys currently calling him paranoid would be the first to use the face palm emoticon.
I think it was more of a test hit for an empty place, or a weak habitant than a case for coming back later.
What you didn't water-board his ass right there?
Clearly I'm joking but a trip to the leasing office with a few questions is a good idea. Defiantly write down the description of the dude now because time fades memories. As for calling the police that is up to you.
Sent from my Otterbox Defended Tactical iPhone using High Capacity "Clips".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHpluwP328A&feature=youtube_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHpluwP328A&feature=youtube_gdata_player
And the original
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzNhaLUT520&feature=youtube_gdata_player
hunterhawk
03-30-2013, 01:14
Not sure if its been said but we should have done an old fashion stakeout.. We have to stick together :-) you know good guys need to prevail when it comes to dirtbags
i used to live in an apartment complex and always had sketchy people coming to the door and my wife was too short to look through the peep hole so she would always open the damn door.. I finally yelled at her enough she quit!
But yeah I agree ask management about people cleaning carpets.. Then talk to the police. Good luck
Call the police, and give a description. How would you feel if you woke up tomorrow to find one of your neighbors was "home-invaded" because you did not do anything. Trust your instincts. If it does not feel right, it isn't! From your description of events, it certainly does not feel right to me.
This is why I never answer the door without a gun plainly visible on my person. Good to plant the seed in their brains, no matter who they are.
Of course, I notice the girl scouts don't come around anymore, but I only like the coconut cookies anyway.
:-)
JMBD2112
03-30-2013, 19:10
should've just answered the door naked and invited the guy in[Flower]
USAFGopherMike
03-30-2013, 19:39
should've just answered the door naked and invited the guy in[Flower]
In a towel, a little wet with a cowboy hat, cigar in mouth, bottle of jack in one hand, shotgun in the other. Invite em in to take a bath and chat. This is how I deal with the religious types. They don't come back. :)
YD3zIA6vJkQ
Doesn't Massad Ayoob just get Chuck Norris to open his doors? [013]
USAFGopherMike
03-30-2013, 20:18
Doesn't Massad Ayoob just get Chuck Norris to open his doors? [013]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrHmcpRAZNs&playnext=1&list=PL836345CBDA5DE3BA&feature=results_video
BushMasterBoy
04-02-2013, 23:30
Sounds like their MO...
http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/Man-Helps-Police-Track-Down-Stolen-Car-201180851.html
There is nothing suspicious about people coming by well after normal working hours to clean carpet [/sarcasm]... Sorry Rigde... but sometimes that bad feeling in your gut is healthy paranoia with a nice mix of good instincts. When I lived in my apartment, if I didn't order it (usually Pizza or Chinese) and someone knocks on my door, the trusty Glock is on my hip! (nowadays it's a Sig and I mount the laser/light when the sun goes down) [Beer]
...sometimes that bad feeling in your gut is healthy paranoia with a nice mix of good instincts.
Preach it, brother.
Property management typically gives at least 24 hours notice for any non-emergency maintenance, usually in the form of a written notice, and non-emergencies are generally handled M-F between the hours of 9AM and 6PM. If it was legitimate they would have given you plenty of advance notice, shown up a lot earlier, and would probably even have had a key. "We had complaints your carpet is dirty" should be another indication that something was off. Unlikely they'll be back . . . probably do not live there and are just knocking on random doors hoping to find someone naive and timid enough to actually let them in the door . . . happens a lot with scams targeting the elderly.
Property management typically gives at least 24 hours notice for any non-emergency maintenance, usually in the form of a written notice...
Required by law here to enter for non emergency purposes. Without prior consent. I.e. calling in a work order
Required by law here to enter for non emergency purposes. Without prior consent. I.e. calling in a work order
Good way to get ventilated at my place...
Your Carpet must be really dirty or your Gun safe is in the living room for him to see it.
Always call the Police.
If they are Legit, they should have the proper permits with them.
Colorado_Outback
04-03-2013, 18:54
If they are Legit, they should have the proper permits with them.
Yeah, next time defiantly demand to see his carpet cleaning permits.[ROFL1]
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