Thieves/Scam

[rp001]

I just read on the Lynnhaven Neighbors website that around the first of May, a lady was participating in water aerobics at Hacienda Pool..While there someone broke into her car and stole her purse..She later received a call from the "police", asking her to come to the station to identify some items taken, that they had captured the culprit..While there, someone broke into her home and stole even more property..The police had not called..Beware!!

If someone calls you and, before you commit, pls make sure the identity of the person you are dealing with. If it smells like fish, it probably is, and Nothing is Free..No, I never saw anything in the paper regarding this!

[BobKat1]

Another tip/reminder, do not leave any valubles in the car (or in view for others to see).

[KathieI]

RP, As usual, we scooped the Daily Sun, and I think it was on TOTV a while ago. It would be hard to find it in Search because there's so much thread hi-jacking going on these days, I'm not sure what words to use to search for it. Perhaps one of my fellow members can find it... :jester:

[Taltarzac725]

A few days ago I received a letter which had a handwritted address to me but some kind of airline return address.

I opened it up and the only return address was a logo for a major airline with the main body of the letter telling me that I had won two airline tickets to anywhere in the US. Worth of these tickets was around $1100. I just had to call the number on the letter to claim the tickets. If I did not call by the 4th of May, the alternate would get them.

Just threw out the letter without calling the number.

Just another scam in the Villages was my guess.

[Mudder]

If you looked carefully the logo LOOKED like a major airline's logo but it wasn't. I got that letter also, dumped it also.

[Taltarzac725]

If you looked carefully the logo LOOKED like a major airline's logo but it wasn't. I got that letter also, dumped it also.

I did not look at it very carefully except maybe for a Nigerian postmark.

[skyking]

The story about the car breakin and phone hoax has been around a long time. I first heard the story about 10 years ago when someone forwarded it to me. About three weeks ago it resurfaced in the Villages. Thankfully we still have the safest and lowest crime rate in the nation.

[rp001]

Sorry pal, that purse story is a neighbor of mine and is NOT made up...Why would you question it?

[redwitch]

I'm so sorry for your neighbor. Sounds like the thieves may have gotten the idea from the internet.

It really isn't a bad idea to call the police department before going there when you get a call like that to confirm they did in fact call. Don't let the party calling know you are going to call, simply get the name, thank them and and say you'll be there shortly. Then, call the department and confirm the name and the facts. If it's a scam, the police should send someone out (and advise you to leave the house immediately) to wait for the thieves.

Hope they find those guys. This could get really frightening if someone is in the home when it is robbed.

[asianthree]

Reds right, so glad she was not in the house when they entered

[l2ridehd]

If they try that with me and I verify that the police call is false, there will be a very dead thief. As I will sit in the dark and wait for them. And I will be very adequately prepared for their arrival. However the best solution is to never leave anything exposed in a car or golf cart that will attract the problem to you. Thieves are thieves because they are lazy. Make it harder to steal from you then someone else and they will.

[skyking]

RP Sorry I upset you. My post was not meant to insult you. I was just trying to lessen any fear and paranoia from a story that has been copied from discussion board to discussion board for over a decade.

It does sound like a good idea however to be extra careful if any personally identifying information is ever stolen from your car.

[graciegirl]

RP Sorry I upset you. My post was not meant to insult you. I was just trying to lessen any fear and paranoia from a story that has been copied from discussion board to discussion board for over a decade.

It does sound like a good idea however to be extra careful if any personally identifying information is ever stolen from your car.

I have to say that I too heard the very same story, different place and some time ago.

I try as often as possible to quell rumors.

I have often been charged with challenging the truthfulness of many original posters when in fact, my goal is for all of us to really challenge the origin of "facts" we hear that do not come from the person to whom it happened..

Why? Just because it is unkind to send something on that causes fear to any of us.

I respectfully thank the original poster who felt it important to tell us and thank Skyking too.

We should always be extra careful.

The Sun does copy the police blotter and often will print scams.

[Pturner]

I saw a variation on the theme just last week. In this account (not in TV), the victim's purse was stolen in a restaurant. The manager called her a few days later to say he was sorry it happened at his restaurant and offered for her to bring her family for a complementary meal. When family arrived at the restaurant at the appointed time, no one at the restaurant knew anything about a complementary meal. When she returned home, her home had been burglarized.

[buggyone]

Just about that same story has been on "Law and Order" in one of their re-runs not too long ago.

All telephone now have Caller ID on them. If the telephone number from the police did not say it was from the Marion or Sumter County Sheriff, why would it be believable?

As far as the vigilante who would kill the burglar, think before you post such tripe, please.

[paulandjean]

Think you should leave the police work to the professionals.Sitting in the dark waiting for them is a bad idea. Think you could end up in jail also.

[Figmo Bohica]

If they try that with me and I verify that the police call is false, there will be a very dead thief. As I will sit in the dark and wait for them. And I will be very adequately prepared for their arrival.

Not a good idea to post something like this. Just the ammunition (pun intended) for the DA to put you away for premeditated murder. Call the police or sheriff's office and leave and let them do their job. Will save you bunchs of heart ache and legal troubles, besides I will be willing to bet that you don't even practice and could not hit the inside of paper sack, locked inside, during a time of stress.

[Deerfly]

I have run across a couple of situations that are not so much scams as just dishonest people.
Seems that if your air conditioner is more than a few years old they would like to have you replace it rather that do a simple repair. $125 vs $3800.
Have had two disreputable roofing contractors give me very inflated estimates for reroofing my house. $12,500 as opposed to $7200 my neighbor paid for a very similar house and situation.
Ask around for repair people and contractors. Most are pretty good but some are just dishonest.
If an estimate seems high, it probably is.