7 ms·

>The police don't call you if they are trying to serve a warrant, they show up. But be aware that the converse isn't true: someone who shows up at your door cl

>The police don't call you if they are trying to serve a warrant, they show up. But be aware that the converse isn't true: someone who shows up at your door claiming to be law enforcement with a warrant isn't necessarily legitimate. E.g.: https://madison.com/news/local/crime-courts/jack-mcquestion-fbi-onlyfans-stalking/article_462febe2-693a-11ee-80a3-5ba072ceeee0.html https://madison.com/news/local/crime-courts/jack-mcquestion-...

MobileVet 3y ago
Good point
akoboldfrying 3y ago
I don't trust anyone to be a police officer unless there's another police officer present certifying that they are in fact a police officer, and another police officer present certifying that that person is a police officer, and so on, up to a piece of paper listing hundreds of "root" police officers around the world that was prepared in an unspecified way by an unknown programmer involved in making whichever browser I happen to be using, and which I have not even glanced at.
- eurleif 3y ago
  Funny, but to be clear, the actual practical advice is to call the police department and verify it. That's what the woman in the article did, and it most likely saved her life.
- fnorder 3y ago
  If you ask to see their badge and they show you a metal one it's probably a scammer, most real cops these days carry the plastic ones you can get at a Halloween store because budget cuts. IANAL etc etc
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
- pi-e-sigma 3y ago
  Hilbert, calm down!
- monktastic1 3y ago
  That's insane. I hand-check my root certs at least twice a day.
  - anonym29 3y ago
    When you're looking at the disk, do you use a handheld magnifying glass and go by sight, or are you running your fingers over the disk to feel the position of each electron?
    - throwup238 3y ago
      I convert my root certs from digital to proteomic storage and inject it directly into my veins. I've programmed my immune system to go into total systemic shock if the certs have been compromised.
- knodi123 3y ago
  lol, point taken, but your metaphor fell apart in the end.
godelski 3y ago
I really wish there was a certificate authority run by the government. In the past we didn't have the capacity to do a lot of these things but now we can make many improvements, even if incomplete. Can we not have something like a CA but for, at minimum, officials? Or something like keybase for identity proofs? This seems quite invaluable. Couldn't this even be done within the phone, mail, and email systems? I don't think this should be for everyone, because we should have some anonymity existing, but at least for government officials? What's preventing us from having public/private keys that are verifiable by general citizens? Even if it was as bad as PGP used to be (before tools to make it easier developed) there would be at least some form of verification. But right now it's far too easy to spoof and honestly I don't even know how one would perform verification other than hanging up and calling back. But that doesn't solve your example. Note: I am not a security expert.
- plussed_reader 3y ago
  A certificate authority; like a sitting judge?
  - godelski 3y ago
    Hello judge, sorry for calling you at 2am, but there's a police officer at my door. Can you verify their badge number and then describe to me what they look like so I can verify that this is indeed the person they say they are? K thx bye Sounds like a great solution....
    - plussed_reader 3y ago
      Sounds like a solution with accountability.
- alexpotato 3y ago
  You can call 911 or your local police station and they can verify if there is a law enforcement officer at your front door. I guess someone could run a Stingray and re-route your 911 call to a hostile party but at that point, I don't think a CA would help you given that they are right outside your front door.
reaperman 3y ago
I have absolutely gotten legitimate phone calls from a sheriff/marshal in the stats of texas to let me know I had two warrants out for my arrest (failure to pay wrong left turn ticket, failure to show up at court for said ticket). I called him back at the published phone number for his division. He let me know he wasn't going to be bothered driving 45 minutes across the metro area to find me and arrest me, and if I just stopped by court and got it taken care of in next three months that would be great.
- arcastroe 3y ago
  You get arrested for simple traffic ticket? That doesn't sound right. Usually you would just be unable to renew your car registration the following year until you pay said ticket.
  - reaperman 3y ago
    I grew up in a different state, and was very surprised that nearly everything in Texas is an actual crime (misdemeanor). So yes, you get arrested for them here, because you committed a misdemeanor. Other differences that surprised me: It's legal to drive through a red light as long as you entered the intersection before the light turned red. Pedestrians don't automatically have the right of way. It's legal to change lanes in the middle of an intersection, even while turning. I've had to re-learn a lot of legal things since moving here.
  - nwatson 3y ago
    Hmmm, when living in California I got a speeding ticket late night in Kingman, AZ, sent in a personal check, they only took money orders, I never followed up. It's been thirty years. I visit family in Arizona frequently. I wonder whether statute of limitations has run out. I've been fortunate to not get pulled over so far. Maybe I do see gitmo in my near future after all.
  - cafard 3y ago
    An uncle who lived in the Kansas City suburbs was careless about parking and did not pay his parking tickets. Then one day he was pulled over by the police. They checked his information and took him to jail. My aunt showed up to pay his tickets, and discovered that the city did not take checks. A grocer kindly cashed a check for her.

MobileVet 3y ago

Good point

akoboldfrying 3y ago

I don't trust anyone to be a police officer unless there's another police officer present certifying that they are in fact a police officer, and another police officer present certifying that that person is a police officer, and so on, up to a piece of paper listing hundreds of "root" police officers around the world that was prepared in an unspecified way by an unknown programmer involved in making whichever browser I happen to be using, and which I have not even glanced at.

eurleif 3y ago
Funny, but to be clear, the actual practical advice is to call the police department and verify it. That's what the woman in the article did, and it most likely saved her life.
fnorder 3y ago
If you ask to see their badge and they show you a metal one it's probably a scammer, most real cops these days carry the plastic ones you can get at a Halloween store because budget cuts. IANAL etc etc
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
pi-e-sigma 3y ago
Hilbert, calm down!
monktastic1 3y ago
That's insane. I hand-check my root certs at least twice a day.
- anonym29 3y ago
  When you're looking at the disk, do you use a handheld magnifying glass and go by sight, or are you running your fingers over the disk to feel the position of each electron?
  - throwup238 3y ago
    I convert my root certs from digital to proteomic storage and inject it directly into my veins. I've programmed my immune system to go into total systemic shock if the certs have been compromised.
knodi123 3y ago
lol, point taken, but your metaphor fell apart in the end.

godelski 3y ago

I really wish there was a certificate authority run by the government. In the past we didn't have the capacity to do a lot of these things but now we can make many improvements, even if incomplete. Can we not have something like a CA but for, at minimum, officials? Or something like keybase for identity proofs? This seems quite invaluable. Couldn't this even be done within the phone, mail, and email systems? I don't think this should be for everyone, because we should have some anonymity existing, but at least for government officials? What's preventing us from having public/private keys that are verifiable by general citizens? Even if it was as bad as PGP used to be (before tools to make it easier developed) there would be at least some form of verification. But right now it's far too easy to spoof and honestly I don't even know how one would perform verification other than hanging up and calling back. But that doesn't solve your example. Note: I am not a security expert.

plussed_reader 3y ago
A certificate authority; like a sitting judge?
- godelski 3y ago
  Hello judge, sorry for calling you at 2am, but there's a police officer at my door. Can you verify their badge number and then describe to me what they look like so I can verify that this is indeed the person they say they are? K thx bye Sounds like a great solution....
  - plussed_reader 3y ago
    Sounds like a solution with accountability.
alexpotato 3y ago
You can call 911 or your local police station and they can verify if there is a law enforcement officer at your front door. I guess someone could run a Stingray and re-route your 911 call to a hostile party but at that point, I don't think a CA would help you given that they are right outside your front door.

reaperman 3y ago

I have absolutely gotten legitimate phone calls from a sheriff/marshal in the stats of texas to let me know I had two warrants out for my arrest (failure to pay wrong left turn ticket, failure to show up at court for said ticket). I called him back at the published phone number for his division. He let me know he wasn't going to be bothered driving 45 minutes across the metro area to find me and arrest me, and if I just stopped by court and got it taken care of in next three months that would be great.

arcastroe 3y ago
You get arrested for simple traffic ticket? That doesn't sound right. Usually you would just be unable to renew your car registration the following year until you pay said ticket.
- reaperman 3y ago
  I grew up in a different state, and was very surprised that nearly everything in Texas is an actual crime (misdemeanor). So yes, you get arrested for them here, because you committed a misdemeanor. Other differences that surprised me: It's legal to drive through a red light as long as you entered the intersection before the light turned red. Pedestrians don't automatically have the right of way. It's legal to change lanes in the middle of an intersection, even while turning. I've had to re-learn a lot of legal things since moving here.
- nwatson 3y ago
  Hmmm, when living in California I got a speeding ticket late night in Kingman, AZ, sent in a personal check, they only took money orders, I never followed up. It's been thirty years. I visit family in Arizona frequently. I wonder whether statute of limitations has run out. I've been fortunate to not get pulled over so far. Maybe I do see gitmo in my near future after all.
- cafard 3y ago
  An uncle who lived in the Kansas City suburbs was careless about parking and did not pay his parking tickets. Then one day he was pulled over by the police. They checked his information and took him to jail. My aunt showed up to pay his tickets, and discovered that the city did not take checks. A grocer kindly cashed a check for her.