Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Suspicious callers to the door and other behaviour.
Hi there, we moved into a property on one of the 'Gardens roads' in December and a few times, about 3/4 say, we have odd, slightly suspicious callers to the door. The first few times it was late at night, today it was while we were having dinner. Each time, its been a different bloke, but each time they have been looking for someone called 'Ali'. They seem to be quite surprised when my husband answers the door and have been very vague when questioned as to the address and why they have come to our door.
Tonight, the caller was standing outside the gate when my husband answered the door, holding a toddler. He seemed sure of the number he was looking for but not the road name. He also asked if there was a flat upstairs. Anyway about half an hour later, my husband was upstairs and noticed through the window that the caller and the toddler were walking up the road, and a white van park was parked across the road. A few moments later, my husband saw the same white van driving back down the road containing a driver, the caller and the toddler. The presence of the white van seems especially suspicious.
What makes my husband suspicious is the way that the callers have behaved; reluctant to engage in conversation, though not impolite and their general demeanor.
Has this happened to anyone else?
Thanks
Lizzy and Nick.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by linka on
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interesting. we have a lot of activity near us, sometimes, before and after midnight. It seems to be the time that people need... something.
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Permalink Reply by Alison P on
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Could they be after someone who lived there before you? We've had various wrong calls over the years but the fact that they all use the same name makes it sound a bit non-random. I know can be unsettling when it happens, we had a run of them which made me feel really nervous when he bell rang.
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worth checking the electoral roll for the last five years. That's how I found out a previous resident had newly registered a company at our address after we'd moved in.
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Permalink Reply by somefriendly on
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I had a suspicious caller a couple of nights ago on Hampden Rd, a lady who seemed nervous and came out with a fairly garbled story which I think was supposed to involve a lost contact lens, her need to get a taxi, and the person who she thought lived at my address. She said she lived near by but when I asked where she would only say 'the new build'. The whole thing was a bit surreal.
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Oh, *that* one is a classic on the Ladder, I think. We should have a tag for 'lady with lost contact lens'!
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I hate to be the voice of cold, hard realms, but both of these are age-old tried and tested tricks.
The caller at the door asking for (usually) the loan of ten pounds to visit a relative / friend in a hospital in Watford / Enfield / Harrow, etc. is a junkie classic that's been in circulation for at least twenty years. I've had in most places I've lived in in London, though not actually here! There's always the mention of a number they supposedly live at, the offer of a mobile number and the promise of repayment, etc.
On the bright side, I've always been impressed by how together - relatively speaking - these folk are in their pursuit of the cash needed to score. Think of it this way: they could be mugging or robbing, but instead are choosing to drag a very tired old tale round door to door until someone bites and they get to fix up.
The "Hello. Does person X live here?" is a classic way of sounding out a property, seeing who lives there, working out if they'd put up much resistance, etc. but could also be a way of possible squatters to find out if a house that has been up for sale is actually occupied now - or is 'available'.
I had variations on this theme three times in my first six months on the ladder.
The last time, I lost my rag, swore at the bloke, followed him out into the street and eyeballed him till he legged it down the road.
Being 6'4" helps in these circumstances.
No real need to be too paranoid about any of this.
Happens all over London and the fact you've clocked it already makes you safer than those who don't twig.
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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I did once get conned by a 'neighbour' needing a loan fo electricity as his kids were visiting etc. Felt a real fool as I waited for his promised return visit, for hours. So when I was hit on by a woman 'from number one' for a loan for I forget what, I suggested that we go back together to number one and discuss it there. She crumpled on the spot.
There's something about the 'neighbour' bit that removes our more suspicious antennae, it's very clever.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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The most convincing one I almost fell for happened in Farringdon one afternoon. A man came up to me, absolutely ashen, and said he needed some money to get a taxi to hospital has he had gashed his arm badly. He pulled up his sleeve the there was an horrific 4 or 5 inch gouge out of his forearm. As my hand was going into my pocket a security guard from an office nearby came over and chased him away. Apparently it was stage make up (the ashen face) and a fake wound and the bloke tried it on several times a week.
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Blimey, that's a pretty elaborate effort Michael.
A few years ago a friend of mine was nearly fooled by a City scammer (this was in the midst of the Lehman Bros. collapse). A rather distraught man in his late 20s approached her and said his phone had run out of money and he needed to contact his wife to let her know they were about to lose everything. He was well-dressed, articulate etc but fortunately at the last minute she realised it was a con (he had asked her for cash or the use of her phone).
We've had the I need money to get to hospital, electricity meter, you broke my phone etc as well - but that was years ago and you get wise to these things over time
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Permalink Reply by Protheroe O'Shea on
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damn those resting actors!
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Permalink Reply by NIck and Lizzy on
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Thanks... neighbours! Is it more or less suspicious then that none of our callers have asked for money?
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