Why are weird people showing up at my house asking strange things?

The last few days have been really unsettling. Two different people have shown up at my house acting suspicious and asking strange questions. It’s completely out of the ordinary for us. Here’s what happened:

A few days ago, my roommate (27M) was leaving the house around 10:30 PM and saw a strange guy hanging around our driveway. This guy started asking him creepy questions like ‘How many people live here?’ and ‘How many people are home right now?’. He then claimed he had been to our place before and needed to come inside because he left something (a coin or USB) in one of the rooms under the carpet, which makes no sense. My roommate told him to leave, but the guy wouldn’t go and stayed on our porch even after we locked the door. We called the police, but they were no help. Eventually, the man left, but my roommate later saw him crawling on all fours around the neighborhood, which was so creepy. We heard him moaning nearby before he eventually crawled back onto our porch.

This all happened over the course of an hour, and the police only showed up after he had left, leaving behind a random box that turned out to be someone else’s mail. We thought this was a one-off crazy experience, but three days later, another man came to our door at 11 PM asking if this was the ‘computer house’ and said he got our address from Venmo. What is going on? None of this has ever happened in the three years we’ve lived here. Could this be related to the house’s history as a known drug house before we moved in? Or is someone sharing our address online? It’s terrifying, and I’m honestly unsure what to do. Any advice would really help!

Do not open your door to any of these people! Seriously, get a doorbell camera or at least use your phone to record through the door without opening it. I would also suggest you go to the police station in person and file a report. If this happens again, have proof ready.

If someone doesn’t leave and you feel unsafe, call the police and tell them you fear for your life. This will make them respond faster since they’ll be worried about the situation escalating. Stay safe!

@Lior
Just a heads up, be careful about telling a dispatcher that you might need to defend yourself. It could hurt you in court later if something happens. Instead, just tell them the person is trying to get inside and that you are scared for your safety.

@Lior
Thanks for the tip! I didn’t think about how to phrase things with the police. I’ll be careful next time.

@Lior
Yes, everything mentioned here is spot on. You can grab Wyze cameras for around $19 on Amazon. They’re easy to set up inside or outside, so you’ll have eyes on the porch.

Also, think about getting motion-activated lights around your house. They can help keep people from lingering. For extra security, you could also keep a can of wasp spray near the front door—it works like pepper spray but can shoot further.

I’d also suggest texting your roommates before coming home late so someone can keep an eye out for you. Stay safe and let us know how it goes!

@Merritt
Wasp spray is not a great idea. It’s not nearly as effective as proper pepper spray, and it’s illegal in a lot of places to use poison on a person.

@Merritt
Wasp spray? Really? That’s not going to help much in a serious situation. Just get a gun if you’re that worried.

Neo said:
@Merritt
Wasp spray? Really? That’s not going to help much in a serious situation. Just get a gun if you’re that worried.

Yeah, avoiding a firearm in this case seems like overthinking it. Lock the doors, stay inside, and if they break in, then defend yourself properly.

@Nicol
Exactly. If you live in a state where it’s legal, you should already have a gun. Better safe than sorry.

Neo said:
@Nicol
Exactly. If you live in a state where it’s legal, you should already have a gun. Better safe than sorry.

It’s not about wanting to hurt anyone, but if someone is breaking into your home and refuses to leave, your safety comes first. Do everything you can to avoid the situation, but be ready to protect yourself if it comes down to that.

@Merritt
I used to love Wyze cameras, but recently I’ve had two of their base stations fail on me. One was even under warranty, but they didn’t have any replacements available. It was super frustrating. Just a heads up if you’re looking at getting one.

@Vince
Yeah, Wyze is good for the price, but there are better options out there. Plus, wifi cameras are easy to disrupt with cheap jammers.

Nicol said:
@Vince
Yeah, Wyze is good for the price, but there are better options out there. Plus, wifi cameras are easy to disrupt with cheap jammers.

Good point! Thanks for the heads up.

@Vince
I’ve got a couple of jammers and a Flipper Zero. Fun to play with, but they’re also surprisingly simple to use if someone wants to mess with your security.

Nicol said:
@Vince
I’ve got a couple of jammers and a Flipper Zero. Fun to play with, but they’re also surprisingly simple to use if someone wants to mess with your security.

Interesting. Where can I learn more about testing my own security setup?

@Vince
Check out this forum, it’s a good starting point for learning about tools like the Flipper Zero and HackRF One.

Nicol said:
@Vince
Check out this forum, it’s a good starting point for learning about tools like the Flipper Zero and HackRF One.

Thanks, I’ll check it out!

Vince said:

Nicol said:
@Vince
Check out this forum, it’s a good starting point for learning about tools like the Flipper Zero and HackRF One.

Thanks, I’ll check it out!

No problem! Fun fact: there’s not a Tesla out there that I can’t pop open the charging port on with my Flipper, haha.

@Nicol
Haha, seriously? That’s crazy. I’ve got to get one of these.

My roommate cracked the door…

Why? If I don’t know who’s at my door, I’m not opening it. Simple as that. My friends know to call me first. No call, no entry.

Why is this happening now?

Sounds like the people who used to crash at your place are getting out of jail and looking for a place to stay again. That’s my guess.