Approximately 6pm on March 20 I had a knock at my door. I live in a large apartment complex with secire access doors. I thought it must be a neighbor or someone from the office. The peephole on my door is broken so I open the door and find a somewhat handsome, young guy at the door. He opens with some humorous line that I did not catch and proceeds to jump straight into his sales pitch about trying to get enough "points" by selling magazines to get to costa rica. He is trying to go to photography school. He notices my djing equipment just inside the door as it is within eye shot and begins to ask questions about my hobbies and djing. He comments on the cat, etc etc. He is quite good at assuming the sale and asks if he can come in to use my desk or counter to write out the receipt. This is before I even agree to buy anything, but he seems harmless enough so I let him in. Like many of the reports I have read on here he seems knowledable of my neighbors and ask if I know anyone else in the community. He asked that about 3 times. He asked if he could go out on the balcony (Im on the 3rd floor), he also asked for a glass of water... Again JUST like some of the other post I read on here.
I give him a glass of water, he notices things in my apartment, certain political and social organizations that I am part of and tries to say he is part of the same... Though by his appearance I do not believe him. I ask if he lives in the community and he states no. He tries to cite where he does live but I have no idea what he is talking about. Being the sucker I am for sales, I agree to purchase a subscription to a music magazine. He pushes for cash and I stupidly give him half cash and the other half in check, as he explains it's what many people do.
He does produce a receipt and the receipt appears legit. I don't pay to much attention to it other than the fact there is a cancellation notice and address to process such a request. It all seems legit and just from first interaction I don't believe anything to be wrong.
After he leaves I sit down to recalculate my expenses to allow for the new $65 charge on a 1 year subscription to SPIN. Ridiculous but I figured it's how they make the profit and no big deal.
I do a search for the company by name and immediately find all sorts of post of FRAUD and SCAMS. As my heart drops I immediately think to the fact that I just gave this kid information about how I do not know anyone else in the complex, I live alone, he has seen the inside and outside perimeter of my unit, and I immediately put together that he just "cased" my apartment. I go online to my bank and put a stop payment on the check. I will have to go to the bank and cancel the account just as a safety precaution. I immediately signed up for renter's insurance, as I was going to anyway, to protect my posessions, and now I am writing this in hopes that someone in my area will not be subjected to them as I was.
It's a terrifying thing to worry about someone trying to rob you, and I can imagine it's even worst to actually be robbed. I hope that they will not come back and try anything, and that all I lose is the $30 in cash and the inconvenience of having to close one accpunt and open another. I will consider myself lucky if this is all I have to deal with.
Please follow the suggestions of what others have written, be rude... It is your safety and peace of mind at stake.
As for me I will never answer my door to anyone I am not expecting ever again.
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