Warning: Scammers impersonate property owners to sell homes and vacant land
Fraudsters are posing as the owners of vacant land or unoccupied homes, listing the property for sale or rent using stolen identity details, and pocketing a buyer's or renter's deposit for property they don't own.
The scammer identifies a property that looks vacant, is unoccupied, or is owned free of a mortgage — often vacant land or a house currently for sale, between tenants, or owned by someone living out of the area. Using details pulled from public property records, they impersonate the real owner, sometimes forging identification, and list the property for sale or rent through an agent, classifieds site, or directly to a buyer, undercutting the market price to attract quick interest.
A buyer or renter who is excited about the deal wires a deposit, earnest money, or full payment before ever meeting the "owner" in person, often because the scammer claims to be overseas or unavailable to meet. By the time the fraud is discovered — frequently when the real owner or a title company gets involved — the money is gone and the buyer has no legal claim to the property.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is warning property owners and prospective buyers alike about this pattern. Owners should monitor their property records for unauthorized listings, and buyers should insist on meeting the seller in person, verifying ownership through the county recorder's office, and using a licensed title company or real estate attorney before sending any money.
What to do
- Verify property ownership through the county recorder or assessor's office before paying anything
- Insist on meeting the seller or their verified agent in person, or via a verified video call
- Be suspicious of sellers who are "overseas" or unavailable and push for a fast wire transfer
- Use a licensed title company or real estate attorney for any purchase or rental deposit
- Property owners should periodically search their own address to check for unauthorized listings
- Report suspected property fraud to the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov