TOLEDO, Ohio — Deborah Huber thought she had found someone who could help her and her adult son secure a new home. Instead, she says the online contact left her without the savings she had worked to build and ultimately cost her the home where she lived.
Huber, who is deaf and disabled, said she was contacted through Facebook at the beginning of the year by someone claiming to work for the Deaf Services Center, an organization that provides assistance to people who are deaf or hard of hearing in the area.
According to Huber, the person offered to help arrange a new, fully furnished home for her and her son. Believing the offer was legitimate, she sent the person $12,000.
But the promised home never materialized.
“I thought they were going to buy me a house, furniture, and I found out that wasn’t true,” Huber told ABC 13.
$12,000 Scam Leaves Huber Unable to Pay Rent
Huber said she eventually realized she had been deceived, but by then, the money she needed for her everyday expenses was gone. Without those savings, she said she could no longer keep up with rent and utility payments at her existing home.
The financial impact quickly became a housing crisis.
“I lost everything. I lost the house because of the scam,” Huber said.
Toledo Municipal Court officials oversaw Huber’s eviction on Aug. 13. A spokesperson for the court confirmed the eviction and said officials tried to help the tenant find emergency housing.
“Evictions are hard on everyone involved. Our civil bailiffs carry out these court orders with respect for the law and compassion for the people affected. In this case, they searched for emergency housing for the tenant and worked with the Humane Society to place her dogs,” the spokesperson said.
Huber Forced Out With Her Belongings and Dogs
Images showed Huber outside her former home on the day of the eviction, carrying her belongings in a shopping cart. She was also seen holding one of her five dogs. The animal is her service dog, according to the report.
Her other four dogs were placed with the Toledo Humane Society.
The eviction added another painful consequence to an already devastating financial loss. Huber and her remaining dog are now staying with a family friend, while her son, Chris, obtained temporary shelter through the Lucas County Board.
Family friend Stephanie Coates said the family had already been living with very limited financial flexibility. The household essentially lived “month to month,” Coates told, making the loss of Huber’s savings especially damaging.
“So finding a place for them is pretty hard right now,” Coates explained.
Police Warn About Scams Offering Too-Good-to-Be-True Help
The Toledo Police Department confirmed that an investigation into the alleged scam remains ongoing.
A police spokesperson also warned that recovering money lost through scams can be extremely difficult, urging people to independently verify unsolicited offers before sending money.
“We urge the public to be cautious of unsolicited offers, especially when they seem too good to be true,” the spokesperson said. “If an offer seems suspicious, verify it directly with the company or organization the individual claims to represent.”
The warning is particularly relevant to scams involving trusted organizations, where criminals may use the name of a legitimate group to make an offer appear authentic.
In Huber’s case, the person allegedly claimed to represent a local organization serving the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Family Launches Fundraiser to Help Huber Start Over
With Huber and her son facing an uncertain housing situation, a family friend has created a verified GoFundMe fundraiser to help them recover.
The fundraising page describes the family’s situation as the result of someone taking advantage of Huber’s trust.
“Imagine losing everything you have worked for — not because you gave up, but because someone took advantage of your trust,” the friend wrote.
The fundraiser says Huber and her son are not seeking anything extravagant, but simply a safe and stable place to live.
“They aren’t asking for anything extravagant. They simply need a safe place to live and a chance to start over … Any donation, no matter how small, can make a difference,” the friend wrote.
As the police investigation continues, Huber’s immediate priority is finding stable housing and rebuilding the financial security she lost.
“Together, we can help keep a mother and her son from becoming homeless and give them the opportunity to have a safe, stable place to call home again,” the friend added.
What do you think about Huber’s situation and the warning from police? Share your thoughts in the comments.
