CREB® has recently been made aware of numerous incidents in which our members have been receiving obscene calls and text messages from strangers.
These experiences seem to be similar to those the CBC reported on in Vancouver earlier this month.
If you have experienced a similar situation, or experience one in the future, please advise your broker and, if you feel comfortable, report the incident to the police.
We understand being a REALTOR® requires a heavy online presence to conduct business, and these situations are an unfortunate reminder to stay vigilant when receiving communication requests where the sender or caller is unknown.
Please consider the following recommendations on staying safe:
- Block phone numbers
If you receive calls or text messages that are inappropriate, block them immediately. If you need assistance, contact your service provider for the steps to take to effectively block phone numbers. - Avoid meeting people you don’t know
Working in real estate requires meeting new clients, but whenever possible, avoid unnecessarily meeting with people, either virtually or in person, who you don’t know. However, if an individual wants to meet virtually, you should initiate the invitation and advise attendees that the meeting will be recorded (learn more about enabling auto-record for zoom).
If meeting in person, verify their identity, meet in a public place and, when possible, bring a buddy. REM (Real Estate Magazine) recently released an article about using our intuition to vet unknown callers more thoroughly.
- Report harassing incidents to the police or local RCMP
Receiving obscene calls and messages is harassment and the caller has committed a crime. Report the incident by contacting the police non-emergency line. Mention that you are a Calgary REALTOR® and it is a “Sexually Explicit Complaint.” These two phrases are key for the police to flag the reports as being part of a larger issue.
- Become familiar with these safety resources
These situations can be disturbing to experience and hear about.
If you, a family member or a colleague is facing a stressful or unexpected situation, please reach out to the REALTOR® and Family Assistance Program (RFAP) for support. CREB® members have access to this free and confidential program that provides counselling services 365 days a year.
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