Possible scam alert: Looking for a charge

Forwarded by Mike Dady from the North Delridge Neighborhood Council, who was asked by a Youngstown resident to “get the word out” about a suspicious situation:

I had someone that was leaving my house late this afternoon about 5:00 PM. A black SUV was parked on the other side of the street. The person leaving my house was waiting for her husband to pick her up. A guy got out of the black SUV and was asking this person if he could take a few minutes to charge his phone up as it was dead. At the moment that he was trying to talk to her, I
opened my door to say something to her. She was a bit on the naive side and said something to the effect that she didn’t live here, so the guy started to ask me if he could charge his phone up. I said no, absolutely not. The guy uttered something to the effect of “what’s wrong with everybody”? His tone of voice was such that he was trying to come off as being an innocent guy just needing some help. The guy got in the passenger side of the SUV and they took off.

This is obviously a scam artist at work and I would like to get the word out for people to be aware of this.

Alki Res. November 26, 2008 (9:31 am)

Didn’t happen to get the license plate number? Definitely a scam… anyone can sit in a coffee shop and plug their phone into the wall outlet and drink a cup of coffee.

In2theknight November 26, 2008 (9:35 am)

Not trying to start a fight but what obvious scam were they trying to pull? Just asking since I’ve been in situations that my phone was dead and I only had a charger that would plug into a wall socket. Luckily I went to a store and they let me plug it in while I was shopping.

JanS November 26, 2008 (9:54 am)

well, they would want to come into your house in order to charge a phone…and charging a phone isn’t an immediate thing, it takes a while. I get that, and I would have said no, too. What? They were gonna come back later to get it? I don’t think so…

Alki Res. November 26, 2008 (9:58 am)

To in2theknight,
You said it yourself, you went to a public place to charge your phone… not someone’s living room.

Huindekmi November 26, 2008 (10:35 am)

I would have said “sure” and pointed him to the outdoor socket.

Lachlan November 26, 2008 (11:06 am)

“His tone of voice was such that he was trying to come off as being an innocent guy just needing some help.”

And that may have been the case. Still, I would allow a stranger into my home, either. I would have pointed him to the nearest place he could have made a call, etc but not let him in.

I don’t think it was a scam, but the timing of everything was odd.

JH November 26, 2008 (12:29 pm)

Hmm, why was a married lady leaving your home???

Sorry, couldn’t resist that one!

Alki Res. November 26, 2008 (1:10 pm)

ok… maybe not a scam… but that guy must have somekinda ego to assume he should be let into a total stranger’s house to charge his phone. Does he expect milk & cookies while he waits for his “bars” to increase???

Michael November 26, 2008 (2:03 pm)

Everything’s a “scam.” Lock your doors, pull the covers over your head and curl up in the fetal position.

That said, it’s easy to point someone needing a charge to the nearest Starbucks. That would be the neighborly thing to do.

LyndaB November 26, 2008 (10:01 pm)

that’s what i call hinky. what about the person who was driving the SUV? in this day and age, only one person has a cell phone? who says ‘go over to that house and charge your phone. i’ll idle right here.’?

jcricket November 26, 2008 (10:09 pm)

Oh c’mon, all these come ons are scams. Ever since 15 years ago when people tried the “my car’s broken down, here’s my ID proving I have some kind of stable non-threatening job, so give me $10” on me (and I fell for it).

There have been a series of home invasion robberies in my hood (Cap Hill), and they’ve all been prefaced by weird interactions outside of people’s houses (robbers casing the joints, basically).

So yeah, I might have told the guy where a Starbucks was, but I wouldn’t let him in my house, and I wouldn’t even want him hanging around outside using my outdoor socket.

It’s not about pulling the covers over your head and hiding, it’s about common sense.

WTF November 27, 2008 (10:54 am)

It’s not a scam; they aren’t “scamming” anything. They are CASING. They are looking to see who is a threat, an easy mark and what kind of street smarts YOU have. You don’t think for one minute that they were just innocent (guys) who, oops, battery died. Let’s ask a nice neighbor to help us charge our cell phone. HEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLOOO people!! Let them in your house to charge their phone and surmise you are alone…now you finish the rest of the story. WAKE UP people. THINK, BE SMART about your surroundings, and saying no if OK. They’ll get over it.

Sorry, comment time is over.