NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— Habitat for Humanity wants to warn home owners about a scam! Someone posing as a Habitat employee.
It may be difficult to spot a real Habitat for Humanity employee when they aren’t building a home, but don’t be fooled.
“We got a phone call yesterday from a young man that his mother was approached by a person claiming to be from Habitat. The person knocked on her door and said he was there to help with some home repairs. She thankfully had the sense to call us immediately,” Marguerite Oestreicher, Executive Director of Habitat For Humanity in New Orleans said.
The scammers are hitting homes in the New Orleans area, and it is dangerous.
“So they could try to get personal information or they may be casing the property to gain entry,” she said.
She went on to say, “These people are showing up they made fake logo shirts, fake paperwork, so people think it is Habitat, but it is not Habitat.”
Just to be clear, Habitat for Humanity never goes door to door. If they show up at your house it is because you already have an appointment made with one of their staff members.
“So we do have some people we are helping that do go out to the neighborhood. Our staff have business cards, ID’s, they drive vehicles with logos, and they wear shirts or polos with logs. Be cautious, double check, call our office, and we can verify,” Oestreicher said.
As for one of the men posing as a Habitat employee.
“The report we have so far is a black male, short hair, medium build, he was wearing a navy blue polo with a Habitat logo, carrying a clipboard with fake applications and fake logos on them,” she said.
This is all an important reminder that Habitat is here to help humanity not scam.
“It is better to be safe, particularly for our older people who may be living alone. They are very much at risk,” she said.
The man in yesterday’s case was said to be driving a dark blue GMC SUV, not a marked car.
Spokespeople say this scam seems to be happening every few years.
Habitat for Humanity is currently looking for women volunteers to help next Friday and Saturday with their “Women Build.”