ATTN: ILLEGAL solicitors are back in the neighborhood - the FULL story

(Posted by Moderator)

"Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me".  I was not fooled twice!

Dear All,

Since I've received over 10 personal emails from people thanking me for the alert message, I thought I'd go ahead and tell you 2 things you might like to know:

1. What happened today on Marymont
2. What you can do

Here's what happened...

Around 2pm today a young man entered my property (open due to construction) and knocked on my front door.  He claimed his name was "Adam" and lived right up the way on "Stockuxixxizzzzzz Street" (mumbled).  Since it was clear to me he was lying b/c he couldn't remember that "main street right there" was Stockbridge, I asked him what his address was again.  After that confirmation I baited him.  :) That is, I listened to his sales pitch about magazines for Children's Hospitals, he was asking for donations for some org I'd never heard of (can't remember the name, may have been the same one as last year), and his goal was only 10 more, could I please help?  He asked for $420.  I said, "Sure, wait right here while I get my checkbook."  I went back inside (we had been on the front porch, outside ONLY), quietly locked the door behind me, and called the Atherton non-emergency line.  (650-688-6500).  I waited a few minutes inside and then went back out and made chit-chat with him until the officer arrived, at which point I conveniently had to go get my pen to write the check....  From what I could tell she escorted him out and essentially gave him a "firm talking to", while getting his name in the system (he's apparently from Michigan, not the Easy Bay, or Stockbridge Ave., like he told me).  She came back later to talk to me where I gave her more info (I had gotten the name and rough address of a Stockbridge resident who had written him a check) in case she wanted to follow up.

How did I know what to do?  Regrettably, I had been through this scenario last year, but fell for the con.  Solicitation, without a permit, is ILLEGAL in Atherton.  This is what I learned from it and what you can do:

1.  Answer your door, do NOT ever let the person inside your home, and step outside.  Ask them if they have a permit.  If they say, "NO" proceed to listen to them for a moment.
2.  Agree to what they're saying, make an excuse to go back inside for a moment "let me get my checkbook", or "I left something on the stove, could you please wait here for a minute?"
3. Go back inside, LOCK the door behind you.
4. Call the police (again, here's the # 650-688-6500)
5. Wait for police to arrive, keeping them in your view or outside with you.  Take note of what they are wearing, physical appearance, any tattoos, markings, accents, etc.
6. DO NOT EVER GIVE THEM MONEY OR LET THEM IN YOUR HOUSE.

The officers I have spoken with this say that about 50% of the time these are young, college aged kids who get bused in from out of state, are on foot, alone, but working with a larger group as they each get dropped off in different neighborhoods.  They are looking for money, and if they cash your check it's then a punishable crime by law, that is, it's the crime of FRAUD.

The other 50% of the time, these kids come back looking for a quick robbery (they are scouting out your place, hence asking to come inside (last year he asked to use my restroom, this time the young man needed "just the edge of my table" to fill out the "receipt")).  The come back and steal small things they can walk out with (since they may still be on foot), such as jewelry, small electronics, etc.).  They may also be looking around your yard to see if they could get into your car to steal things there.

BE VIGILANT.  LOCK YOUR DOORS.  CALL THE POLICE IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS.    BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR!!!  =)  Let's continue to look out for each other to keep our neighborhood, and the type of people and businesses that are in it, ones we would be proud of.

Your neighbor on Marymont Ave,
Mehridith venverloh

On Tue, Jan 18, 2011 at 5:56 PM, Peter Laffey <thecatsby@gmail.com> wrote:

yo these folks aren't dangerous - they're just trying to get some money from people who have a lot more than them. I get them at my door all the time here in LA, just be nice and they'll leave.

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Mehridith A. Venverloh