A couple has revealed four specific words that, when Googled, are almost guaranteed to result in police arriving at your door.
In a surprising incident, a couple learned that certain Google searches can lead to a police visit.
This story shows how innocent inquiries can sometimes raise alarms, especially in today’s world where safety is a major concern.
Couple had police show up at door when searched for these four words on Google
The incident occurred in Long Island, New York, in 2013.
Michele Catalano and her husband found themselves in a troubling situation after conducting a couple of online searches.
Michele shared her experience on her blog, explaining how their searches led to a police presence at their home.
She wrote: “Googling of certain things was creating a perfect storm of terrorism profiling.”
What are these four words?
The searches, done on her husband’s work laptop, were for the terms “pressure cooker” and “backpack,” but they were conducted just two days apart.
After the searches, Michele’s husband’s employer noticed the unusual activity and reported it to the Suffolk County Police Department.
This was likely due to the sensitive nature of the terms, especially in the context of public safety.
In the wake of past terrorist activities, the combination of these words raised immediate concerns about potential threats.
When the police arrived at their house, there was a significant presence. Officers were looking for any signs of suspicious activity related to terrorism.
Fortunately, the searches turned out to be harmless.
Michele explained that they were simply looking for a new pressure cooker for cooking lentils and a backpack for everyday use.
However, the situation left them feeling anxious and uneasy.
Michele’s blog post indicated her feelings of invasion of privacy by police
She expressed concern over how easily someone could end up on a watch list just for trying to learn something new.
The police released a statement regarding the situation, explaining that they received a tip-off from the computer company about the suspicious searches.
They emphasized that they acted on the information they received to ensure public safety.
It read: “Suffolk County Criminal Intelligence detectives received a tip from a Bay Shore-based computer company regarding suspicious computer searches conducted by a recently released employee.”
For anyone curious about what specific terms to avoid, the aforementioned “pressure cooker” and “backpack” are key examples.
These items, when searched together, can evoke images of dangerous activities, such as bomb-making.
Social media reactions
On social media, many online users shared their surprise about this revelation.
Everyone Google it all at once and let’s see who has the quickest arrival time, one user said.
I immediately had the urge to go to Google, the second user commented.
Well, they already watching me like it’s a good thing or an insult to me.
Or maybe I’m gonna try this to see if it really because they need to be aware about me, the third user wrote.
It’s if you Google “Google”, the police will turn up as you will break the internet!!! Another said.
Man, you should see the new pressure cooker i just bought, it’s so small and compact. It’s totally the bomb, even fits in my backpack, someone wrote.