Community Post

Patrick the Scammer is at it again…

…knocking on doors on 27th Avenue, sharing one of his many tales of woe and seeking monetary handouts. Middle-aged Black male, medium height, thin build, graying hair, missing a few teeth. Instant change in demeanor when I said I knew all about him from reading this blog (never mind that he tried the exact same ploy on me years ago on 14th!).

16 thoughts on “Patrick the Scammer is at it again…

  1. I know, I have spoken to Patrick. He is a sympathetic personality. But you do not help anyone by giving him money.

    …all you do is guarantee that he will continue to come to your front door.

  2. Yes, when you call him out for his fake story he gets quite agitated and confrontational. Probably a danger to society, not just a harmless sap.

  3. He’s been coming to our neighborhood (north U District) for years. Why doesn’t he change the name he uses??

    Earlier this year in Maple Leaf:

    http://www.mapleleaflife.com/2011/01/09/the-door-to-door-loc

    One of my neighbors almost a year ago:

    “Monday night just after dark comes a knock at the door. Icalled out “who is there?” and the man said, “your neighborPatrick.”

    Because I have a large group of really nice young menliving next to me in Cynthia and Joe’s former house I figured it was oneof them.
    I don’t know all their names, I am embarrassed to say.

    I opened the door and a medium height maybe age 30 African American man starts giving me (it turns out) B.S. about how he is my neighbor and he vaguely waves south. I give it to him by saying, Oh, in the white house on the corner of 56th? He says yes, he and his partner so and so…live there and he puts his hand on his heart and says, he’s gay. And he works at UW and his partner blah blah blah. He is talking super fast in a very confusing way about how he locked himself out and the locksmith is there and he is shy $2, then with his very fast patter it turned into $4 and when he saw my wallet out it turned into $8. It was all very fast and unclear and with me wanting to help a nice gay African American guy I gave him the money. I told him I was going to visit him to prove to myself….and he said, anytime and he promised he would be RIGHT back and restore my faith and he would knock just like this…and he gave me a smile and two quick example knocks and off he went with my money.

    I sat down on the couch and realized that he would never be back and felt like a fool. Even the next morning I looked in the mailbox in case he came back so late that he didn’t want to bother us with a knock. I tried to console myself with my grandmother’s teaching: better to be fooled by 9 people then miss the one that really needs you.”

    AND THIS:

    “OH yes he tried to make off with $20 from me last year with the exact same story but fortunately I didn’t have the cash! He’s a smooth talker alright!”

    AND:

    “Got you beat. We fell for this guy months ago and the other scammer who is the fast talker about helping kids in the neighborhood, getting money from another neighbor. Since my boyfriend and I are both suckers, I got a large NO SOLICITATION sign for my door. That has helped.”

    AND:

    “Just for the record, “Patrick” hit us up, too. I gave him the “No cash on hand” line but he was mighty smooth and disarming. Can’t blame anyone for falling for him. I’ve been wanting a big No Solicitors sign forever. Does anyone know where you can get a big No Solicitor sign that doesn’t look quite so much like a No Solicitor sign? ; )”

    There are many, many more.

  4. He’s my next door neighbor. He’s an alright dude with some drug problems. And yes, the police know about him.

    The best thing to do is be aware. The next time he tries this, ask him if he will sing you a song for that $2. He has an amazing voice.

  5. Are you sure he is your neighbor? Cause he seems to be everyone’s neighbor. Does he have a Huffy bike?

  6. Whoops I posted to the wrong place above.

    Hey if Patrick really is your neighbor please tell him to stay the fuck away from my house. Thanks.

  7. how would that conversation go spiffy?

    Patrick’s neighbor: “Um hey Patrick, how’s it goin man?”

    Patrick “Alright, you got 2 dollars?”

    Patrick’s neighbor: “No I don’t. And stay the fuck away from spiffy d’s house”

    Patrick: “Who the fuck is spiffy d?”

    Patrick’s neighbor: “Exactly!”

  8. If I was Patrick’s neighbor I’d tell him to quit with his sketchy and pathetic door-to-door scams around the CD asking for drug money.

    We are on to him. We know who he is. He’s been doing the same shit for years around Seattle.

    Tell him to fucking stop it.

  9. He has a bike, dark color. We live near Ezell’s.

    Spiffy D (and his army), what makes you think I’m his guardian? And if “we” knows who he is, why doesn’t “we” talk to him?

  10. And yes, he has been at this for a long time! I fell for one of his sob stories (gay man, grad student in Social Work, car was going to be towed; needed $2, oops, no, $4) about 5 years ago in the U District.

  11. He was around our neighborhood again today, 30th and E Republican. This is the second time in the last year he has shown up on our doorstep. We called SPD’s non-emergency line to report it and were told that if he showed up again to call 911 immediately and have an officer dispatched even if he was not being threatening.

  12. The infamous CD welcome wagon has struck again-

    2:00 am pounding on the door…Same old sob story… Locked out… Short on cash for the locksmith…. Gay black man… Just moved from new jersey… Neighbor from “over there” in a vaguely pointed direction. I posted on Facebook a few days later and a friend/neighbor said “… Was his name… Patrick??”. “yes!!” I said. She told me to compare notes on the blog. I live at 19th and cherry and he came down our driveway to the back of the house to our back door. There was a car running out front IN THE DRIVEWAY waiting for him and I was home alone and legitimately scared. He was standing in my window and wouldnt go away. I broke my phone that night and we don’t have a landline. I’ll definitely stay on the lookout- Grey hair, baseball cap, slight in build, 5′-7″ or 5′-8″ I’d guess he was 40 something. Next time I’ll just call 911….

  13. When somebody you don’t know pounds on your door at 2am – they must need emergency services. Call police. It is a simple case. Either he needs help urgently or he doesn’t. 911.