Thieves

[Demetrius]

Recently we have filled the last room at our apartment with a couple, they seemed fine at first, then the boyfriend stopped even looking for a job. They haven't paid rent or utilities in a month and a half, over $400 of rent money turned up missing out of my roommate's desk, another of my friends said he was ripped off, and now this morning I walk downstairs and my fucking wallet is out of my jacket.

"Well, that's odd," I thought, "with the way things are going I should just check...FUCK!" My credit card and an old out of state ID were missing... Honestly how much of a piece of shit do you have to be to steal from your own roommates? They'll say it was a friend of theirs, that is what they said when we told them they would need to move out if they couldn't pay, but WHAT THE FUCK!

I'm tempted to knock on their door and say, "I am Mark's bitter rage boiling over" and beat the shit out of them both... Instead, I'm going to go fill out a police report, which will make me late for work and I'm just sick of fucking dealing with these people. I have always strove to hold on to the idea that redemption is possible and people are inherently good, but these motherfuckers are pushing my fucking limits.

[bluestarultor]

These people are not only thieves. They are identity thieves. If they took your credit card and ID, it's clear that they mean to use them. Call your credit card company and inform them of the theft. You can bet they've also been poking around in your discarded papers. Inform the rest of the household about it, and have them all do a check on their own personal papers.

[Demetrius]

Already on that, I'm heading to the PD now.

[Seil]

My dad used to live in this situation - though not so... invasive. It was this one guy, stealing little things - like toilet paper, toothpaste, food; stuff that other people had bought for themselves. Eventually, everyone in the house started putting their toilet paper on the top shelf, where they had to strain to reach it, but it still disappeared.

Then, one of my dads roomies, frustrated with these small pilferings, put mousetraps on the shelf. That got a yelp the next day, but it didn't stop it. So what he did was take his toilet paper and put it by the toilet, writing "You are stealing someone else's toilet paper" on every piece. That stopped it.

But I agree with the whole going to the police thing. I lived in that kind of situation for a while, and got fed up with it relatively quick. The best idea I can think of right now is to invest in a safe, and tell everyone the combination but them, and see if that stops it.

[shiney]

Or fucking evict them.

Edit: Though I guess that will take a while. It is crucially important to get the police involved though so good call on that one. Get your other roommates together and throw them out though, and then change your locks if you can. They can get their stuff when you're ready to put it outside, or they can have a police officer come along and stand by watching while they collect it.

[Demetrius]

We told them last week when my rommy got ripped off that they had till the end of this month to get out. The locks will be changed, they will be thrown out by the sheriff's department if they are not out. I'm just so fucking mad I don't trust myself to even see them right now. Some fucking druggie is wandering around with my damn social security number and a (now) cancelled credit card.

[Loyal]

It wasn't me! I never touched a dollar of his in my... wait, what? Ah, yes, right.

Yeah, that really sucks. But it's good to hear you made the right choices (police, cancelling the card, etc) in reaction to it. I agree about the safe idea... just so long as you have some way of remembering the combination.

[Herr Doktor]

Get rid, mate.
Better that you say your piece to the police and just get them out of your life. Tempting though it may seem, beating the crap out of them's a bad idea. Usually i'd put a probably in front of that, but this time i'm definite. Don't.
'Cos then, they'll go to the police and file a report against you, and you'll look like the agressor.
I hope all this clears up for you, and soon.

[Mad Jack the Pirate]

make damn sure they don't keep any keys or ways to get back in, 'cause they may steal your stuff in revenge.

[bluestarultor]

Not only that, but make sure to tell a credit reporting agency or other relevant institution that they have your SSN.

This is why you're not supposed to keep it in your pocket, by the way. Always, ALWAYS, a bad idea. Have it memorized, and the card locked up tight.


Also keep checking your bills and such to make sure you're not paying for a new credit card or medical or other bills in your name. Do this for at least two years, if not the rest of your life. Many times identity thieves steal identities to pay their medical costs. Other times, they use it for big-ticket items like houses, or even just the phone bill and utilities. It takes an average of two years to get your identity back, and often four. And damn do you ever have to fight for it. Mine was stolen by a disgruntled employee working for my mom's insurance company. They claimed me as a dependent for my first two years of college, and may do it again this year. When my mom contested it, both times, all we got was a "we'll handle it." So we don't even know who it is, and it's obvious it wasn't handled.