Bill
08-25-2016, 9:04pm
Man with foot fetish targets Houston realtors over the phone | abc13.com (http://abc13.com/news/caller-with-foot-fetish-targets-houston-realtors-/1484981/)
HOUSTON (KTRK) --
A man posing as a home buyer is targeting female realtors with obscene phone calls, the Houston Association of Realtors says.
Amy McGee sells luxury homes in the Houston area. She said the caller starts the conversation with questions about price and square footage before turning topics toward toes.
"He's really just interested in feet. And I don't know how graphic he gets because I've never given him that much time," McGee said.
Never thought I'd say "foot fetish creep" on tv yet here we are. A warning for real estate agents on @abc13houston pic.twitter.com/LV5D3RHzic
— Steven Romo (@stevenromo) August 25, 2016
The association said the man blocks his number and uses fake names, making it difficult to track and report him to authorities -- but representatives said they are amassing evidence.
"Every day in this industry, we always preach that safety comes first. So, again, making sure you are aware of your surroundings, making sure you are aware of the consumers you're meeting," Burrell said.
The caller has targeted female agents in the area before, but the association is warning its members that he's back.
"Working with the public, sometimes you take that chance with someone who doesn't have the best intentions," said Houston Association of Realtors spokesperson Kenya Burrell.
The calls are more concerning for agents due to more extreme crimes recently targeting agents working alone in the field. The association said sometimes harassment starts off petty and then escalates.
"There are people who pretend that they're going to see a house because they want to buy it, but they have nothing but ulterior motives. There was a homicide in another state recently," McGee said.
The association urges agents to take coworkers along for showings when possible, always research the person they're planning to meet, make sure others know where you will be at all times and -- most importantly -- trust their instincts.
HOUSTON (KTRK) --
A man posing as a home buyer is targeting female realtors with obscene phone calls, the Houston Association of Realtors says.
Amy McGee sells luxury homes in the Houston area. She said the caller starts the conversation with questions about price and square footage before turning topics toward toes.
"He's really just interested in feet. And I don't know how graphic he gets because I've never given him that much time," McGee said.
Never thought I'd say "foot fetish creep" on tv yet here we are. A warning for real estate agents on @abc13houston pic.twitter.com/LV5D3RHzic
— Steven Romo (@stevenromo) August 25, 2016
The association said the man blocks his number and uses fake names, making it difficult to track and report him to authorities -- but representatives said they are amassing evidence.
"Every day in this industry, we always preach that safety comes first. So, again, making sure you are aware of your surroundings, making sure you are aware of the consumers you're meeting," Burrell said.
The caller has targeted female agents in the area before, but the association is warning its members that he's back.
"Working with the public, sometimes you take that chance with someone who doesn't have the best intentions," said Houston Association of Realtors spokesperson Kenya Burrell.
The calls are more concerning for agents due to more extreme crimes recently targeting agents working alone in the field. The association said sometimes harassment starts off petty and then escalates.
"There are people who pretend that they're going to see a house because they want to buy it, but they have nothing but ulterior motives. There was a homicide in another state recently," McGee said.
The association urges agents to take coworkers along for showings when possible, always research the person they're planning to meet, make sure others know where you will be at all times and -- most importantly -- trust their instincts.