As technology continues to evolve, so too do the techniques that scammers and criminals use to prey on innocent victims.
Take what happened to this woman in Cleveland, for example. The woman, who was not identified for her own protection, was recently driving when she noticed something had struck her vehicle.
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"I heard a loud noise hit my car, like a rock or brick or something," the woman told News 5 Cleveland in Ohio. She initially didn’t give it much thought, but later that evening she noticed something unusual at her home.
“I heard a car pull up in front of my driveway, I looked out and it was a female and male approaching my porch," she said.
When the woman opened her bedroom window to speak with the strange visitors, one of them reportedly told her that she was in possession of the female visitor’s cellphone. Then two more cars pulled up in front of the house.
Scared and confused, the woman then called her brother, who is an officer with the Kirtland Police Department. Meanwhile, the mysterious visitors reportedly told the woman they had called the police, but then quickly left when she began dialing 911 for herself.
The next day, the woman was outside investigating her vehicle when she discovered a cellphone attached to the roof of her car with a magnet. And according to local police, this woman’s disturbing experience may not be an isolated incident.
Ohio police warn citizens of phone-magnet scheme
According to police, scammers and criminals are reportedly using magnets to attach cellphones to cars in order to stake out homes and commit burglaries.
“We were recently made aware of a scam that is being done,” wrote the Kirtland Police Department in a post shared on its Facebook page. “Criminals are attempting to attach a cellphone to newer model cars. They then use this cellphone to track where the person driving the vehicle lives.
“They knock on the door claiming the homeowner has their cellphone. Once the door is opened, they force entry into the residence — other vehicles are positioned in the street to assist in the home invasion as lookouts and getaway cars. The criminals will also tell the homeowner they called the police to try and get the homeowner to open the door.”
The KPD’s statement almost describes what happened to this unidentified Cleveland woman down to a T.
That sound she heard could have been the cellphone being placed on the roof of her car with a magnet. Then the strange visitors showed up at her house demanding the return of the cellphone, with the “lookouts and getaway cars” showing up shortly after.
The visitors even told the unidentified woman that they had called the police.
"The couple told her, well, we called the police. The police are enroute. You need to give us the cellphone,” said Joseph Gibson, the unidentified woman’s brother.
"The couple didn’t put up an argument about the phone. They weren’t really concerned anymore,” added Gibson, referring to the unwanted visitors taking off when his sister started dialing 911. “They just said, let’s just go. And they got in the car. All three vehicles left, left the house.”
And while this woman’s experience is disturbing, many who saw the KPD’s warning on Facebook appear to be incredulous.
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Public response raises questions
The warning issued by the KPD seems to have generated substantial skepticism online.
Many commenters have questioned several aspects of the phone-magnet scenario — such as why criminals would use expensive phones for a high-risk, low-guarantee strategy, and how the criminals would know that they followed the target to their home and not someone else’s.
These commenters are also skeptical that documented cases of this scheme exist beyond this single alleged incident with the unidentified woman.
Others, however, saw the threat mentioned in the KPD’s warning as credible. In fact, several residents requested more specific information, including whether verified incidents have occurred locally and what evidence supports the KPD’s warning.
Safety precautions regardless of threat level
The easiest way to stay safe from a threat such as this is likely also the most obvious: never open your door to strangers.
This is especially true in a time when video doorbells are more affordable than ever. Instead of opening doors for strangers, try to use security features like peepholes, cameras or speaking through the window.
Secondly, if someone at your door claims police are on the way, call 911 yourself to verify before engaging.
Authorities also advise being cautious when leaving restaurants, events or other public spaces. If you can, take a second to inspect your vehicle before driving home. And if you happen to find a tracking device on your car, avoid handling it and contact the police immediately.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
