I was scammed this week by someone who arrived on my front porch at dusk. My first clue should have been that he pounded on the door (without using the clearly marked doorbell), creating a false sense of urgency. Second clue was the too many details story (technique used by liars) name, employer, partner’s employer etc. He gave his name as Patrick and the problem he need cash help with was to “pay the locksmith”, as he was locked out of his house. Third clue: He asked for sympathy, to gain my trust -have you ever been locked out? 4th Clue: Couldn’t give the name of the locksmith and last clue: he knew something about a car I had owned before (creepy).
He asked for a small amount and promised to return it “as soon as he paid the locksmith and got back into his house”. And did he return? Not yet.
This is all easy to write down afterwards; I usually get rid of people like this right away, but maybe the moon was full! Should I call in a description to the police?
Patrick certainly is consistent.
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2013/01/patrick-lewis-charming-central-district-panhandler-actually-knocks-on-your-door/
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2011/12/patrick-the-scammer-is-at-it-again/
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2012/02/patrick-the-scammer-back-at-in-our-hood/
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2011/06/door-to-door-scammer/
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2012/03/locksmith-scammer-near-judkins-park/
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2011/02/hes-back/
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2010/05/towing-locksmith-sugar-scammer-connected-to-burglaries/
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2010/12/the-scammer-is-back/
Thanks Tom-glad to have the history. I would concur with a previous description and add teeth seemed to be filed into a pattern. Neatly dressed, but not fancy and slender-no more than 150 pounds.
He or someone similar has been around at least fifteen years!
Even I have given too pat. I knew it was a scam but he was pretty cool. Next time turnrd him down and he got angry offnsive and slightly threatening till I took a stance. He’s. A creep.
Patrick got my girlfriend and I about 1 year ago. Came knocking at 5 or 6am, saying he got locked out of his house on the block. He said that he works as a teacher at Garfield. I said that I don’t have any money for him, sorry. Then he said he’s gay and just kept talking, trying really hard. Then my girlfriend starting going through the change in her purse. We knew he was scamming the whole time. I was half asleep. He’s got a nice story – it’s convenient and it works. I think that the money you give him is money that he’s earning with cleverness. Somehow this all might catch up with him someday, but I doubt it. He knows what he’s doing obviously.
there’s peole that mean to harm the poor fellow.
Anyone encounter a door to door magazine scammer last week? I had a man in his early 20’s come at 845 at night, speaking fast with lots of details about how the magazine sales helped troubles youth, and how he had just been let out of prison for murdering his mothers killer. He was turning his life around by selling magazines? When I told him he would have to come back at a more appropriate hour (just to get him to leave) he said he couldn’t because he was from St. Louis?? I told him I was sorry I couldn’t help him, he stormed off and accused me of being a racist! My blood was boiling! I don’t care what color you are, or if you are a Martian for that matter, but if you come to my door at 845 at night, and you aren’t even a local youth seeking help, I will kindly tell you to leave… Once.
I was up at our Cabin near Camano and some punk comes to the door telling how he was abused by his father and his mother wanted him to go out and meet 1000 people in the neighborhood to help overcome his fears. He explained he live just beyond them woods and had a lot of details about the people there and now if I could just help him out by buying a subscription…..
Damned white kid, about 18, chubby. Some how they find these kids and give a story and set em loose. Some times the cruise around in vans dropping kids off to canvas a neighborhood with lies. It’s weird.
He visits my area near S. Charles & MLK regularly. He approached me when I first moved in back in January. My next door neighbor had warned me about him. He was dressed pretty raggy when I saw him and he was on a bike. Said he and his partner were locked out of their hosue across the street but he couldn’t specify which one. He gets pretty ticked off when you say “no” but I never felt threatened.
Feeling threatened and being threatened are two different things. You can have either one with out the other. You can feel threatened by a butterfly. You can be threatened by an angry pipsqueak like Patrick and not feel threatened. But, his “anger” is intended as a threat. People should take it seriously. Consider how it affects a 90 year old woman to have an angry weirdo huffing and puffing at her door at 9pm. Patrick is a creep. Just because he scuttles off knowing I could bust his face, doesn’t mean he is not a threat to people. He’s got this whole, ‘Hi! I’m your friendly articulate gay black man’ thing that is offensive to begin with. Then followed with angry tantrum. Don’t be fooled into thinking people like that are harmless. They are manipulators and they are searching for your weak spot. Heck – he got me. Imagine who he could do a number on. My mother would have him in the house with a cup of soup and her check book ready. – a few hundred bucks she always is so proud about the intelligent nice young man that she helped out. And you, know he came back a week later to thank me. Hey, have you seen my purse? I think one of my grand kids might have got off with it. Haven’t seen it since last week.
A Suggestion: If you have an interaction with Patrick (or others with similar approach) and want to post about it here, please post your approximate location. If I read a post that tells me that Patrick was just seen two blocks away, this makes me aware and prepared. You don’t have to give your address, just your approximate location. Thank you.
Patrick ranges broadly and quickly on his little bike. You can’t find him once he leaves. He knows to move on fast to avoid the pigs. Not that he has done anything wrong, but, any inteligent man avoids police contact.
My front porch is north of Madison!
Man this guy tried this when I use to live on 23rd and Madison. I asked him to come back when the locksmith got there. Then he looked so stumped… what a douche!
He got me at my house at 17th and Spring in 2007 and then he tried me again at the house next door in 2008; I moved two blocks south and he tried me for a third time in 2010- at that point I chased him down the street-:). Haven’t seen him since.
We’ve had the suspicious magazine salesmen saying they are raising money for at risk youth, and even sketchy Seattle Times salespeople, but still no Patrick, after four years here. Knocking on wood…