I live in an apartment with a Ring camera at the front door, so I can see who’s buzzing up. In the last two weeks, the same man has buzzed up twice. The first time, we were home, but no one let him in. Someone else held the door open for him, and he came to the apartment, knocked, and even tried the door handle, which set off alarm bells. We saw on the Ring camera he was holding an iPad, and I’m wondering if he was trying to act like he was doing a survey or something. The second time, my roommate was home, but again, no one let him in. We haven’t had any interaction with him. We spoke to our building’s super, but no one from management has sent anyone our way, and we’ve asked a few neighbors, but they haven’t noticed anything unusual. It seems like it’s just us he’s trying to contact. We haven’t called the police yet since it just seems like a guy ringing a bell, but what should we do if he comes back? Any advice would be helpful!
He’s probably looking for the old tenants. Just tell him they moved, and if he keeps asking, say you’re armed. This happens a lot in apartments with all the deliveries and random visitors.
Niko said:
He’s probably looking for the old tenants. Just tell him they moved, and if he keeps asking, say you’re armed. This happens a lot in apartments with all the deliveries and random visitors.
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@Eli
You can’t even guess how many people have lived in this apartment. Lots of visitors, deliveries, and promotions happen at these addresses. Not every strange visit is criminal.
Niko said:
@Eli
You can’t even guess how many people have lived in this apartment. Lots of visitors, deliveries, and promotions happen at these addresses. Not every strange visit is criminal.
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@Eli
The first time he rang the bell, ignoring him didn’t help. Now it’s getting worse. Eventually, you’ll need to tell him to go away. I never get why people ignore someone, then post on forums asking who it was.
Niko said:
He’s probably looking for the old tenants. Just tell him they moved, and if he keeps asking, say you’re armed. This happens a lot in apartments with all the deliveries and random visitors.
This was my thought too, thanks for the advice.
@Ray
Even when you tell all the old friends, you’ll still get deliveries going to the wrong door. But no one should be trying the door handle. It’s just awkward knocks and then leaving because they’re scared of missing out on tips. Those gig apps are horrible. It takes a long time for people to realize they don’t make as much as they were promised when they signed up.
The jiggling of the door handle really worries me. What was he trying to do, let himself in? Always keep your doors locked, whether you’re home or not. Stay safe, don’t engage with him in person. You can try to figure out what he wants from a distance using the Ring camera.
Could be someone trying to serve you something, maybe legal papers.
I’d probably keep ignoring him. It’s not the most proactive thing, but it’s more likely he’s trying to scam you rather than hurt you. If he doesn’t get any response, he’ll probably move on. Scammers don’t stick around if they can’t get anything out of it.
Ignoring him doesn’t mean you let your guard down. I’d be upset too if someone was jiggling my door handle. But you don’t want to act out of anger. Keep watching, gather more info, and if he comes back, have a plan. Be firm and safe. Let him know you’re not interested in whatever he’s selling or asking for.
One way to deal with this is to print out a big photo of the guy and post it on your door, where it’s visible from outside. Add a note about how there’s a dangerous stranger trying to get into apartments. Get creative!