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Question for insurance agents

wimwag

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Doug
So I just bought a new to me house a few weeks ago and since then I've noticed on 3 different occasions men in nicer cars slowing down and taking pictures of the house. Today though, a man in a brown hatchback with a door sticker saying ***** Auction Service (edited with respect to the business owner whom I spoke with) drove by and snapped pictures of the house with new owners across the street and then made a U and began snapping pictures of my home. The camera looke quite expensive and had a telescopic lens on it. When I came out onto the deck, the man looked me in the eye and snapped a few pictures of me before pulling around the block and entering the alley behind the house. At that point I ran across my yard to catch up and get a plate number and was in the process of jumping my gate when he floored it and I lost him.

I read online that insurance companies sometimes hire appraisers to take photos and update the files, but it doesn't explain the way he took off.

I did call the number I got from the side of the vehicle and spoke to a man claiming to be the owner, and he said he doesn't do anything that requires a camera after business hours or on the weekends. He asked me to try and get a plate number and call him back if I see the car again. But it was his number on the car and I have never needed or used an auction service.

I was NOT OCing at the time, although my BIL retrieved my handgun when he saw the man snapping pictures.

I have called the police because of the strange behavior and because this is the third time someone has taken pictures of my house since we moved in. I'm waiting for a call back from the Chief and have asked my neighbor to keep an eye out.

Thoughts?
 

Maverick9

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I'd be tempted to get a 500 lumen tac light or a green laser (on strobe)...not to harm anyone, but to discourage the picture taking.

Why not go to this person's business and see if you can ID the guy or the car? I would surely want an answer.

Let us know what you discover, ok?
 
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Grapeshot

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Taking pictures from a public right-of-way is hardly illegal or even suspicious - many valid reasons.

Why even Google Earth has done it - see street views.
 

wimwag

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Well, considering I called the company that owned the door sticker and he claimed to know nothing about it, I doubt it was an appraiser. If he's on the government dime, he needs to take off the other company's sticker.

Besides, we did all that the week before the closing.

An officer came out to get a report and said there's a possibility a previous owner was foreclosed on (last owner bought it at auction and flipped it to us, so it's likely) and that it might be an attempt to sue that owner who couldn't pay and to call my bank, which I will be doing on Monday.

He said he'd be calling the Auction Company owner and talking to him about it.

I keep seeing people getting stuck with having to hire lawyers and being maliciously prosecuted and sued by people who know they have nothing to do with anything so this makes me nervous. I'd hate to have to go to court and hire a lawyer just to prove I'm not someone else and that I bought it legally and don't owe on someone else bill.

The cop loved my OC, by the way.
 

wimwag

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Taking pictures from a public right-of-way is hardly illegal or even suspicious - many valid reasons.

Why even Google Earth has done it - see street views.


Yeah, but why snap pictures of me and then run?
 

wimwag

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I'd be tempted to get a 500 lumen tac light or a green laser (on strobe)...not to harm anyone, but to discourage the picture taking.

Why not go to this person's business and see if you can ID the guy or the car? I would surely want an answer.

Let us know what you discover, ok?


I'll let the police handle that. No reason to push it. The business is listed as being in Ellsworth, "owner" claimed he was based out of Hayward. If anyone in either town wants to do some recon, let me know. I remember the guy's face perfectly.
 

wimwag

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What makes you think it was not your friendly local assessor who ordered the pics?



The fact that he took several pictures of me once I went outside.

Edit: The moment I saw the car, the whole thing just seemed off and I got that feeling you get when something isn't right. Last time I got that feeling a guy followed my car and the cop I talked to said he was likely a rapist searching for a victim.
 
Last edited:

Primus

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The fact that he took several pictures of me once I went outside.

Edit: The moment I saw the car, the whole thing just seemed off and I got that feeling you get when something isn't right. Last time I got that feeling a guy followed my car and the cop I talked to said he was likely a rapist searching for a victim.

Moon him next time.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
 

wimwag

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The cop mentioned that it could be a fraud attempt and it made me think of something that's been happening lately that's probably coincidence...buy strange and interesting timing, none theless I've been getting threatening phone calls from a few numbers in the 512 area code saying that I owe $206 and a federal bad check warrant (never used or had a checkbook in the last 12 years, also, no such crime exists) will be issued if I don't pay. I've asked them for their badge numbers, agency, supervisors name and info, court district etc etc and they threaten to kidnap me and my kids and throw me in a black van and other laughable crap...when I block one number, they use another. I hope the Windows 8.1 update allows blocking an entire area code when it comes out.

Today's call came from (512)262-9001.
 

davidmcbeth

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The cop mentioned that it could be a fraud attempt and it made me think of something that's been happening lately that's probably coincidence...buy strange and interesting timing, none theless I've been getting threatening phone calls from a few numbers in the 512 area code saying that I owe $206 and a federal bad check warrant (never used or had a checkbook in the last 12 years, also, no such crime exists) will be issued if I don't pay. I've asked them for their badge numbers, agency, supervisors name and info, court district etc etc and they threaten to kidnap me and my kids and throw me in a black van and other laughable crap...when I block one number, they use another. I hope the Windows 8.1 update allows blocking an entire area code when it comes out.

Today's call came from (512)262-9001.

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-512-262-9001

Ask where to send the CASH ... if they give you a PO box #, post back ... they may as well gave you their address if so
 

Franky

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Familiarize yourself with realtor lingo including BPOs, CMAs and short sales. My sister has done hundreds of these from Superior, Wi to Rice Lake, Wi and most likely has done some where you now reside.

What you describe is normal for how people working for these BPO companies operate. Taking pics outside of your property boundaries is legal and should be of no concern to law enforcement.
 
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wimwag

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Dec 10, 2013
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Trust your initial reaction.

Gunning the car away is NOT "normal".



According to 411.com, that number listed came back as a "VoIP" call in Kyle, TX. Being a VoIP means it could be re-routed from any number of places.


Thanks, I've been discovering all sorts of sites regarding phone numbers and spam calls since I opened this thread. How do you guys find these sites?
 
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