Fake Missionaries Beat Up Robbery Victim

[Calm]

Now this just makes me mad....

 

Hopefully people will figure out what is missing and contact police if they try this again.

 

Let's play a game and see if you can figure out are the three things not like the other (think of actual missionaries) in the description and picture:

 

http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/crime-courts/police-suspects-posing-missionaries-beat-and-robbed-man

[Tacenda]

This is terrible.  Maybe this is partly why the church is trying media for missionary work.     

[Calm]

Well, I know that some people in Russia wouldn't let missionaries in because...well, they never let people in the door in case they were robbers, but this is the first time that I've heard of the ploy being actually used so somehow I doubt that this is a reason why they've gone to more internet based missionary work.

 

However, the suspicion of this happening could be a reason.

[Kenngo1969]

If I were the judge, I would sentence them to hear the missionary discussions ... and to report back to my courtroom in a month when they've both got baptismal dates!   (Sorry.  I know I shouldn't joke about this kind of thing.  Sincerely hope the victim(s) is/are OK.)

[Kenngo1969]

Pretty soon, missionaries will have to begin using their ministerial cards for something more than name-tag holders if things like this keep up. (That, and ministerial cards will have to become more sophisticated to ... ummm ... counter counterfeiting.)

[Damien the Leper]

Disgusting.

[Calm]

No one has played the game of how one could tell these were fake missionaries yet.  I am shocked that even Ken didn't step up to the plate (ugh...I hate baseball, why I am using a baseball metaphor?)

 

Come on, Ken, how would you have known these were thugs in disguise....it is rather obvious.

[thesometimesaint]

When my son was in Zimbabwe the mercenaries selling guns wore the same outfits as LDS Missionaries. Created a real headache for my son.

 

PS. I can't find three, but I did notice no name tags. They are a little old for the average missionary, but within the age parameters.

[sheilauk]

If someone does it, some crook will imitate it. I hope they are quickly caught. Apart from the missing name tags, I don't know the difference. The missionaries I've met usually wear more interesting ties though and 6.20am seems too early for a visit! How about their hair - too short? As for the article, I'm probably being overly sensitive but it seems to me that there is an underlying suggestion that they are members! There are a couple of digs at the end, especially the last sentence which are uncalled for.

[Calm]

Well, okay I will give the answers now...

 

1) missing name tags as sheila points out (points to her)

 

2) they have backpacks, standard Missionary dress now is shoulder bags (though to be honest about this one, I don't know how strongly it is enforced)

 

3) timing....I've known a lot of dedicated missionaries, but none of them have shown up at the door at 6:30 AM (though that might be a typo and they mean 6:30 PM but from the lighting with the sun looking like it is almost sideways, is that likely?)

 

This article seems to confirm the time:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865584955/Men-posing-as-LDS-missionaries-rob-Vegas-resident.html

[bluebell]

Well, okay I will give the answers now...

1) missing name tags as sheila points out (points to her)

2) they have backpacks, standard Missionary dress now is shoulder bags (though to be honest about this one, I don't know how strongly it is enforced)

3) timing....I've known a lot of dedicated missionaries, but none of them have shown up at the door at 6:30 AM (though that might be a typo and they mean 6:30 PM but from the lighting with the sun looking like it is almost sideways, is that likely?)

This article seems to confirm the time:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865584955/Men-posing-as-LDS-missionaries-rob-Vegas-resident.html

Backpacks are still allowed in our mission, but yeah the time is definitely a give away.

[Kenngo1969]

No one has played the game of how one could tell these were fake missionaries yet.  I am shocked that even Ken didn't step up to the plate (ugh...I hate baseball, why I am using a baseball metaphor?)

 

Come on, Ken, how would you have known these were thugs in disguise....it is rather obvious.

 

 

 

No tags, for one.  (Posted this before I saw you'd given up and gave the answers away!)

[Calm]

Backpacks are still allowed in our mission, but yeah the time is definitely a give away.

And he even let them in....which is really shocking and drew the comment elsewhere that really cracked me up that we are sending out our missionaries at the wrong time of day.

 

This guy had to be so very, very nice to let them in at that time; I hope they catch them and then he can sue them for damages or something.  I really do wish our criminal law was more about restitution (and maybe less about punishment if having to restore what one took or damaged, etc. worked to cut down on crime).

 

Either that or the real missionaries show up and convert him so he can receive all of the blessings he deserves.

[Kenngo1969]

... I hope they catch them and then he can sue them for damages or something.  I really do wish our criminal law was more about restitution (and maybe less about punishment if having to restore what one took or damaged, etc. worked to cut down on crime). ...

 

 

 

It depends on the law of the jurisdiction, of course, but in many cases, judges will order restitution as part of the criminal case.  (That doesn't necessarily mean the victim can't sue for civil damages in a separate action, and perhaps that would enable him to wallop these guys a little harder in their pocketbooks.  Hopefully, they do get caught; then we'll see what happens.)

[Kenngo1969]

"We're not really Mormon missionaries, so we can cut out that whole 'Personal Study' and 'Companion Study' thing and just go out tracting at 6:30 ..."

 

Of course, I don't know how things work in Vega$, but in the less temperate areas of my mission, missionaries took advantage of the cooler earlier part of the day since a lot of people were already up at that hour anyway, then saved studying for later in the day when it was too hot out to get much done.

[Stargazer]

I hate to point this out, but if I were an actual missionary, and I decided to use my appearance to commit a robbery, I think that I would definitely remove my nametag before committing it.

 

So, missing nametags does not equate to them not being actual missionaries.

 

But I'm sure these guys were not missionaries. 

[Calm]

 

 

So, missing nametags does not equate to them not being actual missionaries.

 

Perhaps not, but it is a sign that they are not on actual mission business (and are doing something they want to hide their identies for) and if they are claiming they are, that would be a red flag.

[sheilauk]

Well, okay I will give the answers now...

 

1) missing name tags as sheila points out (points to her)

 

2) they have backpacks, standard Missionary dress now is shoulder bags (though to be honest about this one, I don't know how strongly it is enforced)

 

3) timing....I've known a lot of dedicated missionaries, but none of them have shown up at the door at 6:30 AM (though that might be a typo and they mean 6:30 PM but from the lighting with the sun looking like it is almost sideways, is that likely?)

 

This article seems to confirm the time:

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865584955/Men-posing-as-LDS-missionaries-rob-Vegas-resident.html

 

 

Backpacks are still allowed in our mission, but yeah the time is definitely a give away.

 

To be fair, thesometimesaint mentioned the name tags 1st!  But, i did mention the time of day so can i keep the points?

 

Like Bluebell, the missionaries in my ward also still all use backpacks.

[Calm]

To be fair, thesometimesaint mentioned the name tags 1st!  But, i did mention the time of day so can i keep the points?

 

Like Bluebell, the missionaries in my ward also still all use backpacks.

Man, I was half asleep yesterday reading this thread.

[BlueDreams]

Backpacks are still allowed in our mission, but yeah the time is definitely a give away.

 

You could replace that with the fact they're wearing black ties.....I've never seen a set of missionaries in matching black ties. Plus they're wearing long sleeved white shirt in Vegas during the summer. NO self-respecting elder would ever do that. 

[The Nehor]

Hate to break this to them but you are better off just dressing normal and knocking so people will answer the door. This would qualify as a "less effective" method of robbery.