Blind pensioner warns of bogus caller after 'scary' incident

A blind pensioner has described how she was in fear for her life when a bogus caller to her home in Limerick city tried to gain entry.

Blind pensioner warns of bogus caller after 'scary' incident

By David Raleigh

A blind pensioner has described how she was in fear for her life when a bogus caller to her home in Limerick city tried to gain entry.

The caller had claiming the woman had ordered a mattress to be installed in her house.

Christina, who wanted her name changed to protect her true identity, said she wanted to warn other vulnerable people about the "scary" incident.

"The doorbell rang and I went out and I asked, 'Who is there?', as I always do, because the reason I do that is I have a disability with my sight - I can't see at all," Christina explained.

"Each time I said, 'Who's there', he would say, 'it's me'."

After asking the man for his name a third time he claimed he was working for a business in Limerick.

"I opened the hall door and I closed it behind me and I opened the porch and I said,'What can I do for you' and he said, 'it's more what I can do for you'," Christina added.

"He said he was sent with a mattress for my bed. He said I had ordered it. I said I didn't order it. So, I said what name was on it, and he said, 'oh there's no name down, only your address'. So, I said I didn't want it and that I didn't need it and that I didn't order it."

After trying to politely coax his way into the house the man became angry when Christina wouldn't give into his charms.

"He was polite first, but when I said I wasn't taking it, he got angry."

"Then he turned around to me said, if I took it he would sell me another one for a few euros.

"So I got suspicious then and I said 'no thank you'. I told him he'd want to go away and that I was going to call somebody. He was getting angry then, so I just told him I didn't want it and to go away. I came back into the house and I did get a fright."

Christina warned others who may have a disability or who are vulnerable in any way to never answer the door to someone unless they know who the caller is.

"I'm completely unsighted, that means I can't see at all. I'm sure he didn't know that I was like that at all until I opened the door. He just picked my place at random. Then I suppose when he saw me, I suppose he thought I was vulnerable," she said.

Christina, who lives alone, added: "The reason that I want to talk about it is, not over myself, but there may be other vulnerable people out there and I just want to make them aware of it. You don't know what would happen if these people would come into your house."

"I'd say he had the mattress alright and I'd say he thought I'd leave him in with it. I could be wrong but I have a feeling he had it alright, but it wasn't for me. He was only chancing his arm."

She added: "He'd want to cop on, it's a shame to be coming to people like that. I know he didn't know the way I was until I opened the door, (but) I'd say he knew then."

"I have excellent hearing. I don't like the way I can hear really because it's frightening as well, because you can hear everything. I can hear things so clear, even in the night, maybe it's there for a reason, to make me aware of people and aware of what's happening and sounds around me. It's just scary for me."

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