Weird visit this afternoon

If she is confused, then mightn't she be likely to knock on more other tenants doors too?

All the apartment doors in my building look the same, and those who are becoming confused, have difficulty finding specific ones. And keeping info straight.

The info specific to dusty , without Ms.72 explaining right away with no prompting, how she knows it and why, doesn't sound confused, or good.

The move sounds good to me, unless you love it there which it doesn't seem like you do.
 

I remember seeing a news item showing a new tech device you can wear to identify a stranger's name and personal information while simply passing by the person. As we all know, our personal information is constantly being gathered through our phones, etc.

So I brought up this AI Overview to share but not sure if it's up to date. This device may be available now to some. She is probably just a nosey busy-body and harmless but I would avoid her for sure.

While not available as a commercial product, the technology to identify strangers' names and personal information in real-time exists, as recently demonstrated by students at Harvard. The functional components include AI-powered wearable devices, facial recognition software, and the ability to scrape publicly available online data.

AI...
A project called I-XRAY, developed by two Harvard students, serves as a high-profile proof of concept. The tool works by combining existing off-the-shelf technology in the following steps:

Capturing faces: The system uses a pair of Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses to capture live video of people. An indicator light turns on to signal that the device is recording.
Using a facial recognition search engine: The video stream is processed by a facial recognition search engine like PimEyes. This tool scours the public internet to find matches for the detected face.

Cross-referencing with data brokers: Once matches are found, the system uses large language models to scrape information from publicly accessible databases, including "people search" websites like FastPeopleSearch.
Retrieving personal data: These data brokers can use a person's name to find other personal information, such as home addresses, phone numbers, and relatives.

Displaying information: All the retrieved information is automatically sent to an app on a connected phone for the user to view.
The creators of I-XRAY have explicitly stated they are not releasing the tool for public use. Their purpose was to raise awareness about significant privacy concerns. Data broker sites used for this technology often have an "opt-out" process that allows individuals to request their information be removed from searches.

It seems like this device can collect current information not people you knew years ago.
 
I'm in a bit of a rush this week, so I hope I'm not repeating anything, but I do want to emphasize, as some others have said, that people should keep careful track of their information online.

I've requested that sites like Instant Checkmate, FastPeopleSearch, etc., remove all of my information. All you have to do is ask.

I ran a background check on my son's girlfriend (I know, I know) and was shocked at the amount of information it yielded: all of her email and social media sites, the make and model of her car, and even her VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), her home street address with photos of the rooms, and so on and so forth. This girl is supposed to be media savvy, but if she doesn't take better control over online access to her information she's going to have her identity stolen or worse.

Anyway—you can ask to have your data removed from those types of sites.
I know of the searches you're speaking of, as I've used them myself. But, I did not know you could ask to have your info removed. Thank you, that's good to know.
 
Well since the officers were her Friday there has been no new knocks. So if she's confused, she's unconfused enough to understand what they told. It has been peaceful.
That's good @dusty.

It seems you did the right thing and, whatever she was up to, you have nipped it in the bud. You may or may not one day find out what it was about but, as long as she keeps away, I guess it doesn't really matter. :)
 
@dusty I think, under the circumstances, you have handled things as well as anyone could have -- so full credit to you for that.

I only started reading this thread today. There are 109 posts so far, and I haven’t read every one, but I’ve read all of yours and the replies from the people you have engaged with directly.

I don’t want to sound like an armchair psychologist -- or any kind of psychologist, for that matter; I’m not remotely qualified, but a few things stood out. I will try not to give opinions about the person themselves, only to compare their actions to a small number of people I’ve encountered in the past.

Dare I say it (and I’m certainly not offering a diagnosis), but as I read your first few posts, one phrase kept coming to mind: pseudologia fantastica. I first became familiar with this phrase 27 years ago. From experience, this type of behaviour is mostly harmless, right up until the point where the person being subjected to it inadvertently becomes part of it. I’m sure many people here have said you did the right things by setting up strong boundaries early on -- and more importantly, sticking to them.

In these matters, it’s always good to keep an open mind, but don’t let an open mind override a gut feeling. Especially regarding how the whole experience has made you feel.

Again, just from my experience, people I’ve known who exhibit this type of behaviour often have a way of drawing others into their ‘stories,’ to the point where the other person becomes part of the story. Truth becomes exaggerated then even outright fabrication, often used to impress to sometimes set up for future manipulation. They are very good at finding information about people through ‘friendly gossip.’ They can be very engaging, and it’s easy for someone on the receiving end to get caught up in the conversation. Over time, both parties can find themselves swept into these elaborate, fantastic narratives, which can feel both compelling and then disorienting.

I should know -- I was in a relationship with someone where this behaviour slowly got worse. I became part of, and lived within, someone else’s fantasy world.
 
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Sounds very suspicious and certainly not right. I suspect that she either has dementia or some other psychiatric problem, or is pursuing identify theft. But I think, because of her age, the first explanation is more likely.

I didn't read the whole thread, so maybe you answered this already, but have you tried to reach one of her family members? She might be very lonely and looking for a friend in exactly the wrong way.
 


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