Some people are bold...

   / Some people are bold... #1  

riptides

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Northern Virginia
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Supply your own work in place of bold.

On top of everything else over the past few months, we had a early night visitor.

Someone pulls up the driveway, which is very long, stops by the house, gets out and starts shining a flash light around.

I see him, and start making my way to the back door. He *must* have seen me in the house too, moving, because he is now coming to the back door.

I place myself between the door and the open house, not wanting to step outside for a challenge, and not wanting to allow easier access into the house.

I cannot see what is behind him, nor around a corner building outside of the back door.

I challenge, and he replies "I am looking for a missing iPad".

I think "Wow, Apple needs to get their crap together, those things are so huge they stand out in the dark on rural farms and you need flashlights to find them". That is about the funniest thought I had for a second, before I started visually inspecting the guy. Neat, semi-professional looking, cool with his talk....hmmmm....

I say, "What makes you think it is here?" He replies "I am tracking it via WiFi"

I say "WiFi?" "How?" He replies "IP address"

Well at this point all alarm bells are going off in my head. My defenses are down, and I don't have any options available to press the challenge for fear of the unknown response/action on his part.

I say "there are no iPads around here" and can I see some credentials?

He replies he is from DHS looking for a stolen iPad, and the little gold badge he is brandishing on his belt, comes along with a flash of his wallet badge.

Now, being who I am, all sorts of rage boils in me that I am caught in this situation that I cannot press home. I really cannot make out his credentials in the poor light, nor do I want to step out and give more of me or my house available to him.

I challenge again his story, and press his DHS affiliation, and we politely end the conversation. He inquires if he can turn around his truck and leave. I try and get the size and make of the truck as he goes down the driveway, no license was visible... and alert the Sheriff as soon as I get back in the house. The wife starts alerting the neighbors and come to find out he had visited a few others that night, same story, not pleasant conversation though like with me.

I find it hard-to-believe some people are so bold, brash and cool, maybe STUPID, as they go about their lives. I sincerely hope the person does not work for DHS, and did not get their iPad stolen. :)
 
   / Some people are bold... #2  
Really? By DHS you mean Homeland Security. Sounds pretty fishy to me.
 
   / Some people are bold... #4  
They way home invasion popping up more so this guy darn lucky...I won't have brought his story.
 
   / Some people are bold... #5  
DHS is also a delivery type company --- similar to UPS. My guess is that is what he was trying to say.

All very very fishy. Not credible.

I assume you had no firearm available? He didn't know that of course and that was to your advantage.

Good luck and stay safe.

MoKelly
 
   / Some people are bold... #6  
On the state level DHS can stand for department of human services .Would they be out looking for an ipad at night , I don't think so .
 
   / Some people are bold... #7  
DHS is also a delivery type company --- similar to UPS. My guess is that is what he was trying to say.

All very very fishy. Not credible.

I assume you had no firearm available? He didn't know that of course and that was to your advantage.

Good luck and stay safe.

MoKelly

DHS (the delivery company) does not issue badges.

It's a felony to impersonate law enforcement. Local Sheriff (and the real DHS) might be interested to look into this.
 
   / Some people are bold... #8  
Probably a house breaker looking for opportunity, nobody home, etc. He has a cockamamie story with some technical mumbo jumbo ready as an excuse if someone is home.
 
   / Some people are bold... #10  
DHS is also a delivery type company --- similar to UPS. My guess is that is what he was trying to say.

I think you mean DHL ... They also stopped trying to compete with UPS in the States.
 
 
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