(WSVN) - Mail started showing up at a South Florida woman’s house for a moving company that listed her home as their headquarters. Her fear: An angry customer would come after her, and so she turned to Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
Way before most of us were born, back in 1925, Victoria Park was created.
Denise Toupin: “It’s very nice, very quiet and it’s well located.”
Many beautiful old homes, away from crowded noisy Fort Lauderdale.
Denise knows, shes been her awhile.
Denise Toupin: “Yeah, since 1977, actually.”
A good address, which Denise is now sharing.
Denise Toupin: “In shock. In shock because I couldn’t believe it.”
In shock because the company using her home address is a moving company.
Denise Toupin: “Adam Moving Fort Lauderdale Movers. That’s the entire name.”
When the generic mail started coming for Adam Moving, Denise Googled the company. Up popped her home address with the logo of Adam Moving over a picture of her house. And Denise has no desire to share an address with a moving company.
Denise Toupin: “Because it’s scary because these moving company don’t have a good reputation. I don’t want anybody to come and knock at my door one day. Well.
The company’s website has a list of glamorous employees. Probably stock photos. And of course Denise’s home address for the angry customers who want to come in and complain.
Denise Toupin: “Who’s going to suffer if somebody is mad at them? They’re going to come to me. They’re going to say, ‘Where is my money? Where’s my furniture?’ That’s what I’m scared of.”
Denise called the number for the company. The people who answered said they didn’t know anything about Adam Moving or her address.
Denise Toupin: “Trying to get in touch with them to remove it is impossible because they they’re hiding something, I would think. It’s fishy.”
Out of options, Denise turned to the people who haven’t been around as long as Victoria Park, but close.
Denise Toupin: “And I don’t know who to call. Well, I called you, Patrick Fraser.”
Well, is it legal to use someone else’s address as yours?
Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “It’s not illegal, but you cannot do it because it’s not the truth and not accurate. The websites have to take it down If you can get in touch with them. Why would a mover do this? To have a local address so customers will trust them. Or two, to hide their identity because they plan on stealing the customers money or furniture when they move them.”
We started checking.
Adam Moving of Fort Lauderdale is not a registered corporation in Florida.
I emailed the so called employees from the website. Their addresses were not valid.
I called the number for Adam Moving. The fellow who answered said he had never heard of the company, but he would be happy to move my furniture.
We then asked, Google, Yelp and the company that hosts websites, Turnkey Internet, to remove the address from the internet.
They all did immediately and let us know it may take a few days to be completely gone from the internet.
Denise Toupin: “I can sleep at night. This is great. I’m so happy. Very happy.”
Happy after she moved her problem into Help Me Howard’s lap.
Denise: “You guys are wonderful. The entire crew is beautiful. Thank you so much. I’m going to kiss you, I think.”
You are so nice, Denise.
And how do you get your information off the web? Google what to do. A lot of people have good ideas and links, but be careful because some of those people are scammers as well. The web’s a tangled mess.
A web of headaches netted you? Ready to move it out of your life? Let us address because if we had a WWW is we work well for you.
With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
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