HAR and the Galveston Association of REALTORS® (GAR) want you to be aware of a safety concern involving phone calls from a blocked number to female agents who are holding open houses. Female agents in the Galveston area have reported receiving calls during open houses from a man questioning the type of flooring in the house and what kind of shoes the agent was wearing. He sometimes asks the agent to put the phone near their shoes and walk on the floor. The suspect calls from a blocked number and identifies himself as Danny or Kenneth.
We have been asked that you report any such activity to the Galveston Police Department (GPD), which is treating the caller as a sexual predator and is actively investigating. GPD urges agents to:
• Ignore calls with blocked IDs.
• Avoid holding open houses alone and always use the buddy system.
GPD also urges anyone who receives a harassing call to file a complaint at 409.765.3702.
Separately, a large Houston brokerage has notified HAR that several of its female agents have received calls from a man requesting that they show him vacant investment homes. Obviously while no crime has been committed, it is critical that you exercise caution at all times and avoid any situation that puts you in harm’s way – namely conducting a home showing alone, especially under suspicious circumstances like this.
HAR and GAR believe in SAFETY FIRST. ALWAYS!
