How Criminals Work: Distracting Questions

There are various ways that criminals may try to catch someone off guard, luring them in to where the criminal strikes, or getting victims to lower their guard. Many times criminals will attempt to take advantage of your inherent helpfulness or courtesy. For instance, I've personally had an instance where a criminal tried to lure me in by lying on the ground in a small parking lot pretending to be injured or ill (I know for certain it was a criminal ploy, because after I passed by, I looked back and saw a man who had been concealed in shadows approach the person on the ground, a woman, and the woman sit up).

     But it need not be anything as elaborate as this. Greg Ellifritz cautions about some more common methods to catch a person off guard in his article, "Distracting Question." I recommend that you read his whole article, but the gist is that one of the tactics commonly used by criminals to distract you or let them get close to you, is to ask a question, such as asking what time it is (thus getting you to divert your attention to a watch or cell phone to get the time), asking for directions (where you might turn to point out directions), or, probably not as common today, asking for a light (to light a cigarette).

    It is unfortunate, but often times, to avoid a criminal attack or scam, you just need to rude. Don't offer to answer the question, don't open the door (or close the door as soon as you decide the conversation is over), don't take flyers or clipboards thrust toward you, don't shake hands with someone that comes up to you on the street, and so on.

     Be wary, listen to your gut, especially if the person approaching you is someone that normally would not talk to someone like you. For instance, if your travel to large metropolitan areas such as New York City, you will probably notice that people of different ethnicity don't actually interact with one another unless necessary; whites tend to interact with other whites, blacks tend to stick to blacks, and so on. Thus, someone that crosses that line while out on the street, particularly if a young male or female, should make you extra cautious. I would extend the same caution to men approached by young women--don't be vain.

    This does not mean that you have to be a jerk. My wife and I were passing through Las Vegas last year, having to stay overnight. Walking our dog in the evening, my wife decided to pop into a small store in a strip mall. I stood outside with the dog when I was approached by a black woman of indeterminate age that probably was a meth user from her emaciated appearance. But she complimented me on my dog and we had a nice discussion. The conversation drifted from different dog breeds to her personal woes. She had a good sob story, and I felt sorry enough for her that I gave her some money so she could get something to eat (although I knew that it would probably go to other things). But I also stood with my back to a concrete pillar and made sure that I kept a bit of distance between her and me (the dog helped in this respect as well), and would glance about to make sure there was no one else that I needed to worry about.