Lunchtime today there was knocking on the front door, I couldn't see a shadow through the glass so thought it was a neighbour and they had moved to one side of the door. Anyway, I opened the door and there was a guy in his 30's on his hands and knee's with a bump on his head and a small cut, blood on his hands and when he stood up I could see he had blood on his polo shirt, in small kind of smears on the shoulders and the back of it.
All he kept saying was "can I use your phone, please let me use your phone" When I said what's happened he said he had been mugged, so I said to him come in, which he came into the hall and took his shoes and socks off.
My husband had heard all this and had phoned 999, I told him to go in the living room and and he said to my husband "let me use the phone", my husband said he was onto the police now and this guy promptly turned round and came back out into the hall. I said to him "you can't go and stood by the closed front door", he pushed me out of the way and legged it. Socks and shoes in his hand.
I grabbed my camera as he hadn't gone to the stair entrance to leave our block but had taken a wrong turn but when I went to take his photo, he had actually climbed onto a tree and climbed down it and got away that way.
Saw the police cars driving round where I live looking for him but heard nothing else.
It was so bizarre you couldn't have made it up if you'd wanted to.
So do you think this was a scam or a genuine incident?
Blimey, thats an odd one, did anything go missing? If not what could the scam be? ???
Lushy x
Scam. Why else run from the police if you had genuinely been mugged.
sounds like he was up to no good. :o. dont let any one in your house you dont know what ever the reason. fortunatly your hubby was there or it may have been a differnt out come.
I have heard of similar, but their desperation to use your phone is to dial a premium rate number, and keep talking for as long as possible.
Last time I heard of it, it was a distressed girl who had either had a minor car accident or broken down.
Which part of the country are you in snipsnip? Good chance it will repeat, so may be worth getting word out there.
Very weird behaviour. Why would someone take their shoes and socks off to borrow someones phone, or to rob the house?
Not wishing to scare you, but am wondering if he was on the run from somewhere, and might have had blood on his shoes from another incident?
(or maybe he was just a very polite scammer!)
What did the police say about it snip? ???
Is it possible he just did not want to speak to the police? He could have been illegal?
Have you checked there is nothing missing and that you have all your keys?
I live in the Hertfordshire area. The police never bothered to get back in touch with us.
Nothing seems to be missing.
I couldn't get over taking his shoes and socks off, why would someone do that if it was a scam?
Don't think he was illegal had a normal accent.
Wont be answering the door to anyone again gave me the ebbie jeebies
It could have been a distraction thing.
When I was in Barcelona,people were being covered in muck and someone would come up with a bottle of water and a cloth saying the same happened to them,meanwhile their pockets were picked. :(
Oh my gosh, you let him in? I'd never have done that. I'd have sat him on the doorstep or in the back garden and brought the phone to him. When the doorbell goes here, I look through the spy hole and if I don't recognise the person or they're not wearing a delivery uniform of some sort, I don't answer, lol. Anyway, in answer to your question, instinct tells me he was a wrongdoer but then again, I am a suspicious person!
OH has just spoken to the police and they think it was a scam too.
They hadn't heard of it in this area but are now aware of it.
They even went to the trouble of phoning round the local hospitals but no one matching our description had turned up at A&E.
Thanks everyone who replied, I really thought it was genuine :(
weird, weird, world, why oh why did he take his shoes and socks off?????
Snipsnip - my guess would be that he'd been in a fight and didn't want the police involved
re the taking shoes off - definitely house trained!
Anyway at least you and OH are ok (not hurt or owt) :)
1066
Wow I don't think I would let the person in. I would just use the phone myself to call for assistance.