Door to door solicitors

[Tacit Blue]

So yesterday I had a gentlemen approach my door and explain to me, that he's involved in with a charity for drug addicts impoverished youth. He explains that he's not interested in a donation, but he needs ' points' to help out. So that being said I had the option of subscribing to a magazine. He tried pulling all the emotional cards on me, ' but the drug addict kids don't you wana help'.

My radar went off and I told him ' No thanks'. So about 20 mins later I walk down to the canyon with my German Shepherd, I see 3 people walking into the bushes. As I get closer my dog hears them talking and as I walk up it's the door solicitor smoking out of a bong with 2 other people!!!. I can't believe he had the balls to ask for money. I'm guessing these kinda scams are on the raise now? I also saw a van pick him up, so I'm guessing they do this all day....

[pietropau9]

Maybe he needed more pot.

[cabinetguy]

seems like he got the money to help the drug addict kids with their addiction.

[Lifeon2whls]

The "magazine solicitor" scams have been around for a while. Had you bought a magazine, chances are you most likely would have received it but the money was not going to a charity. There have been a lot of well documented cases of companies/groups who get kids/teens/etc who are down on their luck and have them sell these mags door to door. Typically these are on college campuses. They travel from town to town in vans and the "company" will pay for their rooms, food...buy them alcohol and supply them with drugs. The hook is that when pay day comes they realize that they are being WAY overcharged/underpaid and they owe more than they made and are now stuck.

[Samuelx]

Coulda also been checking just to see if anyone was home/if it was clear to attempt entry...

[Tacit Blue]

Coulda also been checking just to see if anyone was home/if it was clear to attempt entry...

I wish he woulda, my dog woulda torn his azz up.

[Fspeed]

The "magazine solicitor" scams have been around for a while. Had you bought a magazine, chances are you most likely would have received it but the money was not going to a charity. There have been a lot of well documented cases of companies/groups who get kids/teens/etc who are down on their luck and have them sell these mags door to door. Typically these are on college campuses. They travel from town to town in vans and the "company" will pay for their rooms, food...buy them alcohol and supply them with drugs. The hook is that when pay day comes they realize that they are being WAY overcharged/underpaid and they owe more than they made and are now stuck.

Not an LEO
Had a cousin who tried a job like this in Chicago. They did promise big money, but you had to sell mags like it was going out of style. Never heard about drugs and booze, but wouldn't be surprised. She bailed after a week or two. My guess is this guy is doing something similar.

[BigDogatPlay]

The magazine solicitors who travel the country in vans are sometimes the biggest PITA. I worked in a town once with a tight door to door ordinance, and we used to chase calls on them all the time. Lot of the kids they employ have been scammed themselves into taking the journey.

[DVSmith]

The magazine solicitors who travel the country in vans are sometimes the biggest PITA. I worked in a town once with a tight door to door ordinance, and we used to chase calls on them all the time. Lot of the kids they employ have been scammed themselves into taking the journey.

Our local PD asks residents to report these as they require a license/certificate/ID or something that is available from the PD. They tell us they have not issued any in years. They also point out that some percentage of these are casing the neighborhood even when they work for a "legitimate" promoter. Who knows, but we are always polite and send them on their way then call the PD front desk to let them know about the activity i case they care. I guess if they aren't too busy they might follow up, but I have never seen the PD do so.

[Tacit Blue]

The thing that upset me the most, was that he stuffed his pockets with my neighbors money. Then decides to hide behind in the canyons and smoke from a bong. Absolute scum.

[itisagoodname]

Where was this? I was getting hoodlums like that every night for a couple months then it just stopped... and the car and motorcycle thefts started.

[MarcM]

Coulda also been checking just to see if anyone was home/if it was clear to attempt entry...

This has been a huge problem in the area I work in. 1/2 the people we jam up going door to door are on probation or parole for theft of some kind.

[Tacit Blue]

This was in North San Diego County. La Costa/Encinitas area. Since the homes they were targeting were upper middle class homes in the suburbs, I think most people would feel obligated to give something back as act of kindness. We have properties worth 500k up the street, so they prob figured " this will be like stealing candy from a baby". I mean who can refuse giving money for drug addicted children?

I can read people alot better than most. So my gut feeling was right, as I've dealt with scammers and criminals before.

[Marty33]

Its a burglary crew. Call the police.

[WARDOG]

Kirby salespeople

KIRBY Vacuum sales people. What a scam!
When I got our of the army in the late 80's, I had a family to support. I answered an ad about selling vaccuums for Kirby.
Lots of promises about money that could be made.
These thieves were slick salesmen. They could sell a used car to a used car salesman for over blue book, and still pitch the paint sealant and underbody rust coat.
I did that for almost 2 weeks. Standing in front of grocery stores and malls offering $500 shopping sprees, or they also could win a free home carpet shampoo.
All we were doing was getting people's information so we could cold call them later and tell them that they won a free, one room carpet shampoo.
There never was a winnner for any shopping sprees.
We would all pile in a van, get dropped off and saturate a neighborhood in one day.
While we were there, we were supposed to pitch the Kirby and all of it's attachments.
The Kirby was actually a great vaccuum! But, these urchins would sell them to anyone on the finance plan. If I was unable to seal the deal, I had to call a manager and have them talk to the housewife, granny, etc. before the man of the house came home, or granny's children caught on.
The scam was that I worked on commision, usually making about $200 - $250 on a package. If I couldn't seal the deal, the manager on the phone would work out a price with the buyer undercutting my commision, while they still made their percentage. One day I sold 2 packages and didn't make a dime on commision.
I felt terrible about who they would sell to. They would take granny's last dime when granny was already eating dogfood & macaroni.
We sold packages for about $750 - $1200 back then. I discovered that wholesale to the dealers was only $220 without attachments!
I was in a huge moral dilemma. I had a wife and twin babies to support. Finally after about 10 days I told the head honcho where he could stick it.
Anyway, so about 2 years later I am working the street on patrol and dispatch starts getting calls about Kirby sales people in our fair City. I found them and warned them that they need a permit, and the City doesn't issue permits. They packed their van up and left. I caught them again a few days later and cited the person in charge. Gave them another warning to go out into the county if they insisted on selling them. I briefed our other patrol people on the scam of Kirby.
About 2 weeks later, after multiple reports from residents in the county, the group wondered back into the City limits. I found the van dispersing their salespeople in the morning. Our City ordinance made committing the same crime a second time a misdemeanor. Althout it was a weak misdemeanor (I don't think the DA has every prosecuted one for selling without a permit), I arrested the honcho, and impounded 11 Kirby brand spankin new vaccuum cleaners. When I booked him, the jail CO's gave me that odd look as to why I was booking the guy, when they were just going to give him a court date and release him. I told Mr. Kirby Honcho he could get the vaccuums back after he paid the fine in court. He had a Colorado address. The van got out of Dodge, and follow up with the case showed he never paid the cite he got at the jail and it went to warrant. We held those Kirby vaccuums in the property room for 5 years and nobody ever called or claimed them. Eventually we sent them off to auction.
That's what was nice about working a smaller City. When it was slow, you had time to keep the neighborhoods clear of con-artists.
Ahh. Fun times!