If they were more advanced they'd already have been looking at us and saying, "I'm glad first contact will be with little pink men who've only reached the 21st century stage." ;o)
If there's a civilisation out there that's a only a few thousand years more advanced than us - it could well be that, as I type, alien eyes are regarding our planet.
What a spooky thought!
Hopefully though, they are not "drawing their plans against us" as Mr Wells put it.