Restore LA Program Warns of Scams
Amy Fennell • November 13, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Restore La. Program Warns of Scams Asking for Private Information
BATON ROUGE, La. – Gov. John Bel Edwards’ Office of Community Development warns residents of telephone scams in which callers ask flood-impacted families to provide private information like bank account numbers or make a financial deposit to complete their applications for assistance. These calls are fraudulent attempts to obtain personal information.
If program applicants have doubts about the authenticity of a phone call or email, they should immediately contact the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program at (866) 735-2001 or info@restore-la.org. Program staff will then help applicants verify whether the call came from a program representative and report the call if needed.
When calling applicants, Restore Louisiana staff will confirm who they are by referring to the applicant’s survey account number. Applicants are encouraged to compare this number to their own survey account number before giving out any personal information. It is important to note that the program does not ask for any banking information, including account numbers or a deposit, or a social security number by phone.
Likewise, the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program emails applicants only from official program accounts, such as info@restore-la.org. Before responding to any email claiming to be sent from the program, applicants are encouraged to carefully check the sender’s address in order to verify the email’s authenticity.
About the Restore Louisiana Task Force
The Restore Louisiana Task Force comprises 21 individuals from throughout the state who were appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards to oversee the rebuilding process after historic flooding in March and August 2016 impacted 51 disaster-declared parishes. The Task Force’s mission is divided into six categories: community planning, economic, health and social services, housing, infrastructure and natural and cultural resources. All task force documents are available at http://restore.la.gov/resources/. For more information, visit restore.la.gov.
Association emphasizes lower monthly expenses, more housing options and practical relief for Louisiana families.
Want Your Teen to Own a Home Someday? Start Talking Money Now Teens may not be thinking about mortgage rates or down payments just yet, but the money habits they’re building now can follow them for years. And 88% of teens surveyed by Fannie Mae and Junior Achievement said they want to own a home someday. This week’s Consumer Guide: Talk to Your Teens About Money and Homeownership makes those conversations a little easier, covering everything from credit scores and budgeting to debt, renting versus owning and saving for that eventual down payment. So yes, you may have to interrupt the doomscrolling. But helping teens get smarter about money today could put them in a much better position to get the keys to a home of their own down the road. Download all of NAR’s Consumer Guides in English or Spanish at facts.realtor. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Teen Financial Literacy Fraud Red Flags Helping Family Members Become Homeowners Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season Condominium Insurance Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their home buying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. The next Consumer Guide, scheduled for publication on Oct. 21, will cover winter cold and storm preparedness.
Homeownership Is on Louisiana's November Ballot
