A Member has reported an incident in which an individual who claimed to be an Oshawa homeowner provided false information and requested to meet with her.
The individual called her office on June 22 and asked for her by name. He was unusually familiar with her and initially only offered his first name. Indicating that he had seen her ad, he asked to meet with her regarding the sale of his Oshawa home.
The Member indicated that she could not meet with him immediately and asked for further details including his surname, address and reason for moving. When he stated, “We are downsizing,” the Member inquired as to who “we” was, and he replied, “My dog and I.”
The Member also noted that there were unusually long pauses throughout their conversation.
Since their conversation, the Member has received several calls from an unknown number; however, no messages have been left. Upon attempting to reach the individual several times at the number he provided, the Member discovered that it consistently rings three times before going to dead air.
Further, when the Member searched the address that the individual provided, she discovered that his name is not on title.
Upon describing the incident at a recent office meeting, one REALTOR® indicated she had a similar occurrence recently, and another believed they may also have been contacted by an individual of the same name.
Members are encouraged to take appropriate safety precautions when meeting a client for the first time, including meeting at the office, being accompanied by a colleague for showings where possible, keeping a mobile phone on hand at all times, and updating the office on your itinerary.
Update: The Member received another call from the individual on July 2. He used a different first name, and referenced the fact that they had spoken recently about selling his home in Oshawa.
He indicated that he couldn’t recall the address of his Oshawa home, and that he had two additional properties to sell in cottage country, one of which is on an island. When he inquired if the Member would be willing to view the island property with him, she requested that he email information on all three properties and set up an office meeting.
When he indicated that his computer was being repaired, the Member requested that he send her the information by text message so that she could research the properties and have a reliable phone number to reach him. He agreed to do so, but did not follow up with a text message.
Did you know? The following are all accessible from the Stratus home page via the Your Information Centre button.
- Member Alerts (including archived items);
- A Fraud Red Flag Checklist;
- CREA’s ‘The Safe Side - REALTOR® Safety Issues’ brochure; and,
- REALTOR® Safety Tips.