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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 10, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: housing scam ( 3 ), identity theft ( 108 ), real estate ( 128 ), Scams ( 1,383 ), vacant lots   

  Secret Service warns about real estate scam 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Another scam that we’ve seen reported more in the news lately is the vacant lot scam. This scam typically involves scammers who try to sell a vacant lot that they do not actually own or have the right to sell.

  The process of the vacant lot scam involves scammers locating an unoccupied property without any construction and determining the owner, which can be accomplished through publicly accessible information. To appear as the genuine owner of the property, scammers will impersonate the owner and create fake identification documents. Using this guise, the scammers will enlist the help of a real estate agent to sell the property. In many cases, the scammers will not be physically present in the area where the property is located, and they may communicate solely through electronic means such as emails and text messages.

  The scam has become so prevalent, even the Secret Service is warning realtors nationwide to watch out for this scam.

  One realtor from Montana encountered this scam in a most unique way. The realtor also happens to own a vacant lot. Scammers called her office one day looking to sell a lot at a discounted price for a quick sale. When the realtor asked for the caller’s name, the scammer replied with the name of the realtor. That’s one way to tell you’re talking to a scammer.

  If someone was looking to buy a lot, they might consider investing in title insurance, which could protect them from losing money in a phony sale. Buyers should also make sure they’re dealing with the actual owner of the property. See if you can get the records of the property from the county tax office and make sure that the signatures match.

  If someone owns a vacant lot, whether they’re looking to sell or not, can take some precautions to protect their property. Make sure to regularly monitor your property and keep records of any changes or updates to it. This can help you quickly identify if someone is trying to sell or rent your property without your permission. Ensure that your property is properly secured. This can include installing fences, locks, or security cameras to deter trespassers.

   

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  Geebo 9:00 am on March 2, 2023 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: identity theft ( 108 ), land scam ( 2 ), real estate ( 128 ), Scams ( 1,383 ), vacant lots   

  Scammers will sell the land out from under you 

  

  By Greg Collier

  There are any told number of real estate scams. The most common one has to be the rental scam. This is when scammers will advertise a home for rent even though they don’t own the property. This is done so the scammer can obtain money from their victims in the guise of rent or deposits. The rental scam has led to many families being left homeless after losing the last of their money to the scammer.

  More recently, there has been a new real estate scam that’s making the rounds. It’s not as common as the rental scam, but its victims could still suffer from devastating financial effects. Real estate scammers are now targeting vacant lots. It doesn’t matter whether the lot is for sale or not, scammers will try to sell it as if they own it. This could lead to not only the buyer being swindled out of thousands of dollars, but it could also leave legitimate owners with a nightmare of a legal battle.

  So, how are scammers getting away with this? Not to give them any credit, but they’re really putting in the work on this one. When the scammers find a vacant property with no construction on it, they’ll find out who the owner is. This can be found out through publicly available information. The scammers will steal the identity of the owner and forge identification in the owner’s name. This way, the scammers can list the property for sale with a realtor while appearing to be the owner. Often, the scammers won’t even be in the same area as the lot or the realtor, and will typically communicate through means like emails and text messages.

  There were two reported incidents of this scam happening this week. One happened in New Orleans before the owner was notified by a friend. The other happened in the Washington, DC area, where the buyers realized it was a scam after the seller was unable to answer questions about the property.

  To protect yourself, it’s recommended for buyers to get title insurance. This protects buyers from losing money in a phony sale. For owner’s it’s not so easy. In their case, they have to trust that the local realtors do enough research, so they won’t list a lot for sale that isn’t.