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Original poster

I’ve been reported as a missing person!

350 replies

Lizzielocket · 21/06/2019 00:30

Frequent poster and have name changed for this.
I was woken by my mobile ringing about 40 minutes ago, I answered it on the second call, it was the police, they were outside my property and wanted to come in. I duly went downstairs and let them in.
I was starting to feel panicky as I have elderly parents and an adult DD who doesn’t live at home anymore.
I was asked my full name which I told them, they then told me I have been reported as a missing person. Somebody had told them that my father and partner couldn’t make contact with me and they were very worried about me. I was with my father this afternoon and I said goodnight to my partner around 2 hours ago by text as he’s at an airport and was about to fly.
I am now in bed with a cup of tea and feeling very confused. They checked on my sleeping DC too.
I don’t know why I’m posting to be honest, has anybody else experienced this?
I’m a very normal woman with a very normal life, they insisted that the call to them wasn’t malicious. So very confused!

OP posts:
MatildaTheCat · 22/06/2019 18:58

I haven’t read all the posts but OP do you have any elderly relatives who might be unwell? When my MIL got urine infections she literally became psychotic at times and had a recurring belief that one of her daughter’s husband was leaving her. She had a whole narrative around this and, if you didn’t realise she was ill, you’d absolutely believe her. She didn’t have dementia and these weird ideas were usually the first symptom of a UTI.

Just a thought.

SirVixofVixHall · 22/06/2019 19:23

I think your old friend is not a likely suspect at all. It is a cruel thing to do, yet you have decades of happy friendship, unless he is mentally unwell and acting erratically I don’t see why it would be him. If he was the sort of person to do something this unnerving and spiteful I would think he would have shown his character by now.
I wonder if the police have mixed you up with someone else with the same name in your area ?
My other thought is a teenage friend of your Dd or step dd ? It is the sort of thing a teenager with a grudge might do, or that someone immature might think is funny.

ilovemydogandmrobama2 · 22/06/2019 19:44

My mom was reported as a missing person, so can understand how scary it can be.
My mom lives in California and comes usually around once a year to visit. We are in Bristol, but we went to Cornwall.
So, her husband, in California, wasn't able to get ahold of her for several days. Think she got a cheap SIM card from a, how should I say this, unauthorised seller, who promised that it would work in her iPhone.
Her husband starts to get agitated, and called our landline, and gets further stressed that we weren't answering it (because we were in Cornwall).
Later we discover that step dad was suffering from dementia and/or anxiety.
At the time, there were floods in Cornwall, so he panicked and was convinced that she was missing, and called the police.
The police arrived at our house and my husband explained the situation, and we discovered that a missing person cannot simply walk into a police station and announce that they have been found; the person who filed the report has to report it and/or the police have to file that they are satisfied.
Anyway, I know you say your parents are not senile, but they must have been concerned for some reason, which may have made sense in their own head as am sure it wasn't malicious, but rather a sign of concern whether real or imagined.

awesomeaircraft · 22/06/2019 20:02

I was going to say fake policemen / burglars doing a recce but since they are genuine, I am with gamerwidow on this one.

Soola · 22/06/2019 20:06

If they gave the police the ops number why didn’t they just keep ringing it themself if they were genuinely worried?

Why give it to the police?

CorBlimeyGovenor · 22/06/2019 20:22

Could it be a taxi driver checking to see if you were in? They would have your name, number and address if used recently. Or alternatively, could your husband be checking up on you? More than likely however it's an anonymous prank call to waste police time. There are probably many people with access to your personal details (banks, insurance, store cards etc) and probably lots of others who can find out such info easily. Failing that, the police could have made a mistake.

MorganKitten · 22/06/2019 20:22

I have, it was my ex trying to cause trouble.

Vivianebrookskoviak · 22/06/2019 20:28

Hmmm I'd say it's a stupid prank by some random person who got your details somehow with nothing better to do. The students have all broken up for the summer so it's it could be some sort of student prank or by a kid. Either that or its mistaken identity.

BrienneofTarthILoveYou · 22/06/2019 20:29

How strange Op, glad you're ok.

Coldandfrosty · 22/06/2019 20:45

Hope you are ok

MummasTheWord · 22/06/2019 21:03

I would be a bit unnerved by this especially with timing and your partner going away, you should definitely tell him. Was the car a fully marked police car? I would call the police and ask them to reconfirm they sent someone. Could it have been your daughter calling them for a joke?

SummersMumma · 22/06/2019 21:08

All ok now OP? Any response from police?

Nicknacky · 22/06/2019 21:10

RTFT, it was the real police. At least just read the op’ s posts.

Skp17 · 22/06/2019 23:21

Could this be your partner checking your at home? Or a neighbour who has memory problems? Xx

⁰

LittleDoritt · 22/06/2019 23:54

It's sad that this thread has made you question your oldest and most trusted friend.

TanMateix · 22/06/2019 23:57

The fact that the police said it was not malicious and that they are happy to check with your father if it happens again, makes me think it was your mum. These things can happen as they get older.

Purpleplaits · 23/06/2019 00:00

THis whole thread has baffled and terrified me. I’m surprised at your responses too OP. You have categorically said there’s no chance of any of these possibilities being true r.e the parents or friend, fake police etc etc. But you’re not even calling the police back to try and find out what’s going on or who is “after” you? Because there aren’t many harmless explanations are there? Just reading the thread scares me about the strange behaviour people can get up to.

WarCat · 23/06/2019 00:10

When my friend was reported as a missing person the police had no problem with telling her who had filed the report. Why would they, after all. Why won't they tell you..?

Blueink · 23/06/2019 00:45

Another one (hoping it isn’t but) suspecting the friend based on your posts. Could you follow up with the police and tell them you have a concern now about your friend and would like to put your mind at rest, as he’s someone you rely on when your DP is away? This would be my next move. You may hear what you need to know in their response, without them necessary having to tell you directly.

JediJim · 23/06/2019 08:38

Someone has reported you missing to the Police. On their rounds, they knock at your address to check all is well. Obviously it’s the first place they would check. They probably ask you if any children at home, you confirm there are, so they do a quick welfare check.
Nothing strange about that,it’s standard procedure just covering their arses.
So you’ve spoken to everyone you can think of and they have all denied reporting you missing?.. In that case, it’s either a coincidence ( mistaken identity) or just something unexplainable. If it was mistaken identity, the Police may have realised but not bothered to tell you. They are busy of course, mistakes happen.
I would just let it go, everyone has denied reporting you missing ,so I’d just write it off on this occasion. If it happens again or anything else weird happens then it take if further.

Coldandfrosty · 23/06/2019 08:46

How can the police possibly know to confirm it's not malicious? Surely someone won't declare themselves a malicious caller when they phone up. The fact no one has been repeatedly trying to get in touch with you is v odd. Surely you would phone the number yourself first. That alone screams malicious.

BlackForestChateau · 23/06/2019 09:06

The fact no one has been repeatedly trying to get in touch with you is v odd. Surely you would phone the number yourself first.

This is a very good point. Surely you can show the police the lack of calls on record and direct them back to the original reporter?

GettickledGETTICKLEDbyspiders · 23/06/2019 09:18

This happened to my next door neighbour. The other neighbours were worried and called the police, he was elderly so they did a concern for welfare check. He didn’t answer so they bashed his front door in and ran into the house. He wasn’t there.
If the police or the neighbours had asked me first I would have told them he was in hospital.
He had to pay £600 out of his own pocket for the new door Confused

bigKiteFlying · 23/06/2019 09:21

You will likely never get to the bottom of what happened but unless something else like this happens or it is linked to other unusual happenings you need to write this off as something weird but harmless or you’ll drive yourself mad.

I think this is good advice.

Honestly, I wonder if the OP parents had been speaking to someone who got wrong end of stick.

Not the same but I had a conversation I was having at children's centre reported to HV who then insisted on having a conversation there and then else she’d be contacting SS as there were concerns about me based on reported conversation.

Only conversation was me venting to some friends about some children party problems and I was being given some good advice. Apparently, the staff had just has some “training”.

It was a less than five-minute conversation, with HV to establish I and the children were fine -but I found whole thing really upsetting never found out who or what problems they thought we had.

Coldandfrosty · 23/06/2019 09:21

If someone I knew hadn't turned up/been online for a while when usually on often/hadn't been in touch and I was concerned for their safety the first thing I would do is bloody phone/text them. Likely both repeatedly and make my worry clear to them. If nearby i would fo to their home myself and check they are ok. Message someone in their family.

My first thought wouldn't be oh Alison hasn't arrived...I know I'll call 101 about it.

Which suggests they either don't know your number or they do and did this to freak you out.

The mistaken identity thing doesn't work if you said they knew about you and they gave your number to the police. If they did that why hadn't they phoned it first.