OK so this has never happened to me before, and I just thought it was weird.
After you read what transpired maybe you can tell me if I am paranoid or not.

I just came back into Zurich 2 days ago, was gone for 2 months back to my "country of origin" to apply for my D visa which I now have ( a whole other story).

So with jet lag and all I am just out of bed at 2:00 pm, I get a buzz on the front apartment door. I am not fast enough to answer it, and seconds later I get a knock at my apartment door. It takes me a few seconds to find my key (hubby locks the door when he leaves in the morning). I swear I heard a key in my apartment door lock, as I was trying to put my key into lock to open the door.

I finally get the door open, and there is a guy mid 30ish, in jeans and a black t shirt. He tells me he is the police and rambles on in German until I can stop him long enough to tell him I only speak English. He asks to come into my apartment, I tell him I would prefer it if he waited until my husband was at home which on that night would be 6:30ish. I ask if it is something he can discuss in the doorway. He asked me if I know the nationality of my neighbour directly above me. I explain I have never seen my neighbours and have just returned after 2 months away so I can't help him. He says this is a secret, talk to no one and he will come back to talk to my husband at 6:30.... and never returns.

So is this a common occurrence in Switzerland? He did show my is ID ( card in a black pouch on a chain) but I don't read German either, and would not know a fake from a pumpkin... or a legit badge for that matter.

It just seemed a bit weird to me.

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Living the Dream

Call or go to your local cops and ask if they sent someone around. If they didn't, give a description of the guy and tell them exactly what he said. Sounds super fishy to me. Don't worry about not speaking German and let it drop- do it.

Most suspicious! Well done you for not letting him in and it does sound very odd. Most of the time the police operate in pairs don't they?

Good advice from Mud, report it, check it out just to safeguard yourself.

He wasn't a cop.

look around your door if that guy left some marks.

(they sometimes have a look around and if it's interesting they come back later....)

I NEVER open the door to anyone I do not know. If you are home alone, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR to a stranger. If you do not have a peep hole in your door, get one installed.

If you think the person really wants to speak to you, tell them to wait for you outside.

Now I have to say, with dogs I am never home alone and the barking when someone rings is surely a deterrent.

Did you find out how he initially got access to the building after his first buzz?
Have you or your husband spoken with the hausabwart/regie?
If not, it's probably good to advise them too of this, until proper Identification is proved or not.

You from Canada ,you should know better then that . He was no cop,proper ID and then you confirm with the police station

Good advice, I will follow up with the local police, ya I thought it was unusual and I also thought the cops worked in pairs. Again thanks for the feedback. Sometimes it is easy to just let things go and put it down to paranoia.

Welcome back Kirley!
Sounds totally fishy to me. Do as MUD said ASAP!

And if its not,some ding pang on the losse

I had a cop come by once, alone, in full uniform and I recognized him as a beat cop from the neighborhood. Asked him in for coffee and he very professionally declined (maybe he heard my accent, but I make good coffee!). Pretty sure as Econo said, not a cop in your case.

Some visitors to our building try ALL buttons when the one they are ringing for dont answer on time. I am also guilty of not hearing my buzzer sometimes and my students er, end up ringing my neighbour's.

A neighbour might have buzzed him in, and thought nothing of it. I find that the Swiss tend to be super lax with security.

Like what Mud said, its best to go to the police and make a report. Also, have a chat with the neighbour concerned and tell them what happened so that they can be on guard too.

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Remember when someone annoys you, it takes 42 muscles to frown, BUT it only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and b****-slap the mother-f***er upside the head.

What!? Are you kidding? He might be a foreigner with the police looking for him.

And the policeman asked her to keep it a secret. She's probably already in danger for discussing it here.



It's just a pity it was in Zurich. I'd have had more fun imagining a French speaking policeman saying, "Listen very carefully, I shall say zis only once. You must tell no one of our visit."

Did you report it to the police Kirley10? Sounds very fishy to me!

God, that sounds extremely frightening. he might have been a serial rapist or something....

Oh Michelle, where have you been???? I have missed your tiny white socks and little hat!

People will always amaze me.

As you described it it's extremely extremely suspicious.
Yet you opened the door to a random stranger trying to enter your flat in the night (?????? maybe it was to look at your old stamp collection, who knows? what else could it be for?)

Yet the only thing you do is to ask public forum on what to do?


Also I would bet that you haven't even bothered reporting that to the police, or put a warning sign in the hallway of the building.

Great!

Well at least we haven't read another topic:
Help I have been stolen or raped or killed (mind you, if you would be dead I doubt you would be posting here).

Corsebou! 20 laps!

-2:00PM
-jetlagged

read the post pwease.

Ok, as others said: go to the cops. The sooner the better. I would not at all be surprised to see some cop who asks some questions. That's their job after all. The "undercover" ones I have seen in Zurich during football games or even in the city apparently chasing some drug dealers looked just as you described: Jeans and t-shirt, some badge on a chain.

However: I very much doubt that a cop would ask you to enter your appartment after you said that you don't have the info.

That he din't come back is maybe not too suspicious: If he was a cop he either got his info elsewhere or arrested your neighbour in the meantime.

So: Could be a real cop, but if there is a guy running around imposing as one, the Stadtpolizei would surely like to know it. You don't want to read about some crime in 20 mins in a week and think "if I only...".