Would you answer the door to someone looking for their iPhone?

[unusualarrangement]

We live in a flat in a not so nice area of London. My elderly neighbour who lives alone has a man on the intercom saying his phone has been stolen and it’s mapping at her flat. I’ve politely told him to search around the back. I have cancer and only got discharged yesterday and she hasn’t been out.

Hes getting impatient.

Not unless I accidentally had their iPhone.

Tell him to go to the police as I wouldn’t want a chap ransacking my house !

I would tell the man to call the police. Before you call them for disturbing the peace.

Well that’s it, how could she? I do feel sorry for him but we can’t let strangers in.

Do not let him in. It sounds potentially like a scam to gain access.

Tell the man to contact the police if he needs help with locating a lost item and that he won’t be allowed in the premises for safeguarding reasons.

Yes he said he’s calling the police. Which is fine.

Has to be a scam - how could his phone possibly be in her flat?

Oh but do keep us updated please

If it is a block of flats how will he know which flat it is in? How accurate is the tracking? ould he be able to locate it to the nearest metre?
If I knew there was no possibility of it being in my flat I wouldn't let anyone in.
Can he get it to make a sound so someone in the flat can try and locate it?

Could be a scam to gain entry. If it’s not then best case scenario is probably someone else in your block has stolen his phone and he wants to confront them. Which isn’t exactly something you want happening either. Don’t let him in.

Presumably there are other flats too? How can he pinpoint the exact flat? Tracking is often slightly (or more) off. Doubt the police will care even if he does call them. You should call them if he keeps harassing you though.

We are above shops so only flats here. I reckon it’s either the mechanics down the back or someone getting their nails done. Or a scam.

Trust that cynical gut instinct!

Whether genuine or not, I don’t see how letting him in would help the situation.
I had someone knock at my door (rented house in leafy suburb) and ask the same. He came across as genuine, but I’m not a thief or a fence, so it didn’t get him anywhere.

It seems a pointless exercise even if genuine. People don't accidentally have someone else's phone in their property. If the occupant had stolen it, they're hardly likely to let the supposed owner into their house to get it back.

That's why I think it's a scam - relying on honest individuals' natural reaction of wanting to prove their innocence.

Location tracking isn’t that accurate. He could be genuine but the phone is in another flat nearby. Or he could be a scammer (although not a very good scam). Either way, let the police deal with it.

Is this a serious question?

If they put on the “find my iPhone” thing and play a sound they’ll hear it pinging.

Based on your update I reckon that the stolen phone is or was either in the shop below or with the mechanics behind. The tracking could still show it there even if it’s since been turned off, lost battery or wiped. Recently I thought I lost my airpods on the tube because the tracking was showing them as in the station but nope they were in the bottom of my bag and out of battery. The tech isn’t perfect.

Either way though way not your problem! Ignore him and if he keeps harassing you call the police yourself.

Why would it be in flat instead of a shop?

He's a scammer trying to prey on vulnerable people

So an elderly woman who lives alone in a dodgy area has a strange man at the door saying she's got his phone and to let him in? Fuck no. You'd have to be insane. Personally I wouldn't let any strange bloke in no matter what his hard luck story was.

The elderly woman’s 6ft 4 prison officer son is now on his way. The thing is she spends all her waking days on YouTube watching programs about scammers so is super clued up.

it would be weird to stake out our flats though it’s obvious there’s nothing worth anything here.

i forgot about pinging the phone. He said it was going straight to vm. He’s gone now and we’ve both shut our flat doors.

May be an idea to report this ?

As everyone else has said, iPhone tracking is definitely not that accurate. I lost my phone this week and tracked it on my iPad. The location just showed up as my address, not a specific room or area of the building. Once I pinged it, turns out the phone was actually under a seat in the car outside.

Almost definitely a scam. Good that your neighbour is well clued up on this stuff!

Er, no