People across Florida are reporting finding suspicious business cards at their homes with the words “Investigations Unit.”WPBF 25 News has learned the cards are showing up statewide with very little information as to where they’re coming from and why so many people are receiving them.Aleah Ardelean lives in Jupiter Farms and says she received two of the cards within a week. One card was left overnight, and the second came while she was at work.”I looked it up on Google, saw that it had been happening kind of around the state and the same exact card with the licensing number, but a different case number,” she told WPBF.Ardelean said she reported it to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and was told it’s likely a scam.The cards don’t have a business name on them, but they do list a license number and phone number. The license number is associated with a repositioning business in Hollywood, Florida. According to the Better Business Bureau, the agency is not a BBB-accredited business. The repo agency did not respond to WPBF’s questions.The phone number listed on the card has a Treasure Coast region area code and does not match the phone number for the repo agency, either. WPBF 25 News called the number, but no one picked up.Ardelean said it’s possible they showed up at her house because of a repossession she’s linked to. “Embarrassingly enough, I had co-signed a vehicle for an ex-boyfriend, and that vehicle is under repossession,” she said.Ardelean said she wonders if scammers gained access to the repossession company’s records and are using them.”Maybe these people are like, ‘oh, we’re just trying to get in touch with you for your car,’ and then when no one’s home, they leave this as like a second side hustle to try and get money. Because really, they would call me if they were really wanting to know about the car,” she said.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsHowever, comments on local Facebook groups indicate that some people who claim not to be linked to any repossessions have also received the cards. Ardelean said she didn’t call the number but hopes law enforcement can track down what’s going on.”I’m not too concerned from my end as far as being scammed, but I don’t like that people are coming up to my house in the middle of the night and during the day when I’m not there,” she said.WPBF 25 News spoke with Master Sgt. Dominick Mesiti with the Port St Lucie Police Department, who said they recently received a report of something similar.”A woman reported that her daughter was at a Publix within the city and received a suspicious business card that was left on her car in the parking lot that had a very generic card,” Mesiti said.The card is identical to those that Ardelean received, but had a different case number.”It wasn’t even requesting a call back or anything. It was just left on the car. So, our officers did respond. We did look into it. We didn’t find any criminal activity, so it was documented as a suspicious incident,” Mesiti said.Mesiti said it’s important for people to know that law enforcement would not leave a card without their proper identification.”For our agency, we have our agency emblem on it. Our officers will leave a case number, but also, they’ll either write their name and badge number on the card, or if they’ve been here for a while and they have their own personalized business cards, it’ll be imprinted on the business card,” he said. He said all local agencies likely follow the same protocol.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.”There are private investigators who might not have business cards. They might use generic cards such as this, but again, follow your gut, trust your instincts. If you think it’s a little suspicious, give us a call. Let us look into it,” he said. In this case, Mesiti said it’s best to avoid calling them.”Do your research before you actually engage with these people because right now, we don’t know what their intent is or what they’re doing,” he said.These cards have been showing up all across Florida, including in Davenport, where the police department was investigating several reports of individuals posing as “investigators” and leaving business cards at various residences.The police department took to social media and wrote, “While their behavior raised concerns, further investigation has confirmed they are affiliated with a legitimate private business.”However, they said these individuals are not associated with any local, state, or federal law enforcement agency. “Residents who receive a card from them are under no obligation to respond or engage,” the police department wrote.Despite their findings, it’s still unclear where exactly the cards came from and what their purpose is. WPBF 25 News reached out to the repossession agency, asking if they are distributing the cards and why, but has yet to hear back.
, Fla. —
People across Florida are reporting finding suspicious business cards at their homes with the words “Investigations Unit.”
WPBF 25 News has learned the cards are showing up statewide with very little information as to where they’re coming from and why so many people are receiving them.
Aleah Ardelean lives in Jupiter Farms and says she received two of the cards within a week. One card was left overnight, and the second came while she was at work.
“I looked it up on Google, saw that it had been happening kind of around the state and the same exact card with the licensing number, but a different case number,” she told WPBF.
Ardelean said she reported it to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and was told it’s likely a scam.
The cards don’t have a business name on them, but they do list a license number and phone number. The license number is associated with a repositioning business in Hollywood, Florida. According to the Better Business Bureau, the agency is not a BBB-accredited business.
The repo agency did not respond to WPBF’s questions.
The phone number listed on the card has a Treasure Coast region area code and does not match the phone number for the repo agency, either. WPBF 25 News called the number, but no one picked up.
Ardelean said it’s possible they showed up at her house because of a repossession she’s linked to.
“Embarrassingly enough, I had co-signed a vehicle for an ex-boyfriend, and that vehicle is under repossession,” she said.
Ardelean said she wonders if scammers gained access to the repossession company’s records and are using them.
“Maybe these people are like, ‘oh, we’re just trying to get in touch with you for your car,’ and then when no one’s home, they leave this [card] as like a second side hustle to try and get money. Because really, they would call me if they were really wanting to know about the car,” she said.
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
However, comments on local Facebook groups indicate that some people who claim not to be linked to any repossessions have also received the cards.
Ardelean said she didn’t call the number but hopes law enforcement can track down what’s going on.
“I’m not too concerned from my end as far as being scammed, but I don’t like that people are coming up to my house in the middle of the night and during the day when I’m not there,” she said.
WPBF 25 News spoke with Master Sgt. Dominick Mesiti with the Port St Lucie Police Department, who said they recently received a report of something similar.
“A woman reported that her daughter was at a Publix within the city and received a suspicious business card that was left on her car in the parking lot that had a very generic card,” Mesiti said.
The card is identical to those that Ardelean received, but had a different case number.
“It wasn’t even requesting a call back or anything. It was just left on the car. So, our officers did respond. We did look into it. We didn’t find any criminal activity, so it was documented as a suspicious incident,” Mesiti said.
Mesiti said it’s important for people to know that law enforcement would not leave a card without their proper identification.
“For our agency, we have our agency emblem on it. Our officers will leave a case number, but also, they’ll either write their name and badge number on the card, or if they’ve been here for a while and they have their own personalized business cards, it’ll be imprinted on the business card,” he said.
He said all local agencies likely follow the same protocol.
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
“There are private investigators who might not have business cards. They might use generic cards such as this, but again, follow your gut, trust your instincts. If you think it’s a little suspicious, give us a call. Let us look into it,” he said.
In this case, Mesiti said it’s best to avoid calling them.
“Do your research before you actually engage with these people because right now, we don’t know what their intent is or what they’re doing,” he said.
These cards have been showing up all across Florida, including in Davenport, where the police department was investigating several reports of individuals posing as “investigators” and leaving business cards at various residences.
The police department took to social media and wrote, “While their behavior raised concerns, further investigation has confirmed they are affiliated with a legitimate private business.”
However, they said these individuals are not associated with any local, state, or federal law enforcement agency.
“Residents who receive a card from them are under no obligation to respond or engage,” the police department wrote.
Despite their findings, it’s still unclear where exactly the cards came from and what their purpose is.
WPBF 25 News reached out to the repossession agency, asking if they are distributing the cards and why, but has yet to hear back.