MUC failure in parking lot, but any longer term concern?

[RoyGBiv]

1. If dude has friends in your parents state and he can connect dad's phone number to his unoccupied address....

2. There's a scam going via Craigslist where a perp replies to a for sale ad, asks for your cell phone number, then eventually asks for your direct email (outside the CL anonymizer). Perp then sends an authentication code from your email provider (Google is a very popular throw away) then asks you for the code to "confirm that you are not a scammer". The perp then uses the code to gain control of your email account and tries to reset your passwords at financial institutions. <br><br>Complex but apparently real. <br><br>

[holmes168]

We have a 2008 Honda Civic- that people consistently ask to buy. I know zero about cars, but apparently there is something special about this Honda along the lines of the differential (i think, someone could tell me flux capaciter and i would believe it), so I have gotten used to it.

They need to keep up the situational awareness, but not sure it is too completely out of the ordinary from my experience. Honda's are excellent cars- I still have 10 years off life on mine.

[JRB]

Totally possible it was exactly as this random dude said. Especially if that 'mid 2000's Honda' is a V6 Accord coupe, a Civic Si, or an S2000 as those cars all have a serious enthusiast base.

Just this week I got forced into the market for another car, and the usual mid 2000's Toyotas and such I like are selling for twice what they were before I deployed in 2019.

[BehindBlueI's]

Normally I'd be suspicious but there is currently a shortage / scarcity of both new and used vehicles due to COVID and COVID related supply chain issues.

There is a recent PF thread about this here: https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....ler-apocalypse

This. Could be a scam, could be a flipper, could be a dude who wants to buy a car from someone who's unaware of the current stupidly high market. I wouldn't be real concerned about it just yet.

It's odd times for the car market.

[awp_101]

That happened multiple times when my parents were alive. My dad always responded, "Sure, I'll sell you my car. For $50,000 cash." Further interactions did not go well, because he was not very nice to people trying to scam him.

Sounds like your Dad and mine would have gotten along. Lately Dad's been getting texts from flippers (I assume) wanting to buy his house (the DFW market is going nuts right now). His response is always "$2,000,000 and you dispose of the bodies". Only one person has ever responded back after that.

[Blades]

I had a 1996 Honda Accord(years ago) and three different times strangers asked me if it was for sale. My dad drove it for a few months and he was asked once if it was for sale.

[Welder]

Especially if that 'mid 2000's Honda' is a V6 Accord coupe

Hmmmph, I just bought one of those last week. 6-speed, too.

[Ed L]

I think my mom felt like the guy and whole situation was weird, so she kept an eye on him in the store and noticed he eventually left without ordering. When they left the store with their food, she said the guy and his car was gone.

I think that is very telling. Your mom perceived that there was something suspicious about the person, how he approached them, how inauthentic he sounded, and the whole situation. The whole thing concluded with him not ordering food from the sandwich shop that he entered, or seemingly followed them into, and then was gone when they came out/

I am very wary of anyone who approaches me in a parking lot. My typical response if approached is to raise hands up in a de-escalation stance and depending upon the situation say, "Sorry, can't help you" or "Sorry, not interested."

This is in keeping with what Southnarc teaches. Geoff Thompson, a noted British Self defense instructor and former bouncer describes the process that some criminals try to employ as the 4 D's:

Dialog
Deception
Distraction
Distruction

In this model the criminal/predator starts with dialog, which is a deception, which distracts the potential victim and makes the victim more vulnerable to destruction--meaning attack or mugging. Often the criminal is trying to size up the victim, distract them, and maneuver into a position to strike. Sometimes the criminal is trying to work up their nerve to attack. It's also something that someone running a scam will do to try to create some type of opening dialog.

Sounds like your Dad and mine would have gotten along. Lately Dad's been getting texts from flippers (I assume) wanting to buy his house (the DFW market is going nuts right now). His response is always "$2,000,000 and you dispose of the bodies". Only one person has ever responded back after that.

I live in DFW and get the same thing--offers for my home by strangers by letters, phonecalls, and texts. Here is how I respond to texts:

[TGS]

He walked/followed them to the shop, holding the door open to let them in and trying to come off as super friendly, etc. I think my mom felt like the guy and whole situation was weird, so she kept an eye on him in the store and noticed he eventually left without ordering.

I think that is very telling.

Ditto.

If it was just someone inquiring about purchasing the car, I wouldn't necessarily be weirded out. However, that bit I is definitely an anomaly and changes things.

Not only that anomaly, but the fact your mom had weird feelings. Intuition should be recognized and not ignored, and combined with something that is not normal behavior by any objective standard, I think it's reasonable to suspect that your parents were being targeted for something.

A lot of times going to the police won't yield anything. However, there's plenty of cases that have been solved by dumb-luck of random tips from people who saw something weird and reported it....that whole "if you see something, say something". It could be worth it just to shoot it over to the local PD, as it's entirely possible they're tracking someone targeting old folks. If so, there's now likely video surveillance of his face/his car. Plenty of criminals get caught when they get overconfident and make mistakes, like being bold and contacting people in public areas with video surveillance.

If the PD doesn't respond with anything of interest (either legitimately or because the guy who answers the phone is just fucking lazy), then no-harm no-foul.

[TGS]

He walked/followed them to the shop, holding the door open to let them in and trying to come off as super friendly, etc. I think my mom felt like the guy and whole situation was weird, so she kept an eye on him in the store and noticed he eventually left without ordering.

I think that is very telling.

Ditto.

If it was just someone inquiring about purchasing the car, I wouldn't necessarily be weirded out. However, that bit is definitely an anomaly and changes things.

Not only that anomaly, but the fact your mom had weird feelings. Intuition should be recognized and not ignored, and combined with something that is not normal behavior by any objective standard, I think it's reasonable to suspect that your parents were being targeted for something.

A lot of times going to the police won't yield anything. However, there's plenty of cases that have been solved by dumb-luck of random tips from people who saw something weird and reported it....that whole "if you see something, say something". It could be worth it just to shoot it over to the local PD, as it's entirely possible they're tracking someone targeting old folks. If so, there's now likely video surveillance of his face/his car. Plenty of criminals get caught when they get overconfident and make mistakes, like being bold and contacting people in public areas with video surveillance.

If the PD doesn't respond with anything of interest (either legitimately or because the guy who answers the phone is just fucking lazy), then no-harm no-foul.