I’m wondering if a police station can confirm whether officers were dispatched to my house. I might have been the target of a “missing AirPods” scam, but the scammers were dressed like cops. How much danger am I in if it was a scam? They got a look inside my home and insisted I open the door fully to talk to them. I mentioned I don’t live alone (which is true), and my dad was on speakerphone. I also have a loud dog. I’m a small woman, and they may have noticed I sometimes keep my door unlocked (I locked it when they approached).
Should I beef up my home security, or does this mean I’m off their radar?
Just so you know, you’re not required to talk to police if they want to question you. You can tell them you’re not interested and close the door. If you’re unsure about their conduct or identity, that’s exactly what you should do.
@Farley
Yeah, if you don’t answer the door, they’ll usually leave after a while, even if they know you’re home. Pro tip: This only works if they don’t have a warrant.
Tan said: @Farley
Yeah, if you don’t answer the door, they’ll usually leave after a while, even if they know you’re home. Pro tip: This only works if they don’t have a warrant.
UPDATE: Ok, this is wild, but after I made an official report, the department called me back and switched their story. Turns out, those were real police officers. They were just super unprofessional. They pressured me into opening the door and even did something unusual—they helped me search for a missing AirPod. But, wow.
You can call your local 911 dispatch to verify if the officers at your door or pulling you over are legit. It’s something you should do in the moment, especially if you’re in a suspicious situation, like getting pulled over in an unfamiliar area.
Yes, you can call the non-emergency line and ask if police were dispatched to your home. You could have called while they were at your door to confirm they were real officers.
Kai said:
Yes, you can call the non-emergency line and ask if police were dispatched to your home. You could have called while they were at your door to confirm they were real officers.
I was really stressed, and my first thought wasn’t that they weren’t real officers. I was worried something bad happened to a family member. I wasn’t sure if the station would give out that info, which is why I’m asking here. I called my dad for help, and during that time, they started ringing my doorbell more aggressively. I’ve heard enough horror stories about angry cops, and I didn’t want to risk that.
Dang, I wrote a whole paragraph of context, but it didn’t show up. Anyway, I think I might have been targeted by a “missing AirPods” scam, except the scammers were dressed as police officers. If this was a scam, how much danger am I in? They got a good look inside my house, and they kept pressuring me to open the door fully. I told them I don’t live alone (which is true), and my dad was on speakerphone. They also saw I have a loud dog. I’m a small woman, and they might have noticed I lock my door sometimes (I locked it when they approached, and I think they heard that). Should I worry about this being a target for robbery or start upgrading my security?
Dez said: @Oaklan
Do you own a firearm? As a small woman, even if you don’t live alone, it might be a good idea to have one for protection.
Crazy update! After I made an official report, the department called me back and changed their story. Turns out, those were real police officers—they just acted really unprofessionally. They pressured me into answering the door and even helped me search for a missing AirPod. Weird situation, but at least they were legit.