Real Estate Scam Fighters and Resources

Fraud and investment scam, a variant of 419 "advance fee fraud" exists in every hierarchy of real estate market. Protecting yourself can require some amount of common sense, observance, reluctance and alertness. At every stage, there are warning signs and steps one can take to prevent from being a real estate scam victim. Employ smart approaches while buying, selling and renting properties with real estate dealers and agents.

1. Scambusters
A new and unsavory side to the nation's real estate crisis has emerged during the past few months in the shape of "flopping" ? the opposite of flipping real estate, which we saw back in the boom days. It's a scam.

2. Travel State Government
In one scam, the scammers visit a legitimate real estate website and then re-list the properties for rent on Craigslist, complete with the addresses and photos. The scammers then answer e-mail inquiries about the properties and collect rental applications and credit check fees from the would-be tenants.

3. Department of Commerce
The seminars and real estate investment schemes make money by charging you attendance fees, by selling you over-priced reports or books and by selling property and investments without letting you get independent advice.

4. HG.org
Real Estate Scams, Loan Modification Rip-Offs and Foreclosure Consultant Frauds in Southern California.

5. New scams target real estate lawyers
In a post on ISBA's online Elder Law Section discussion group, Chicago lawyer Kurt LeVitus recently warned his colleagues of a new fraud targeting lawyers handling real estate transactions.

6. NC Justice Center
A bill that passed the NC House last week will eliminate critical protections against real-estate scams, increasing abuse of consumers and threatening more homelessness.

7. Tv Tropes
A standard Corrupt Corporate Executive scheme, a Short Con on a large scale: playing with property value to gain profit. Different versions exist, but in its most simple form it involves using nefarious means to drive tenants out of their homes, and generally lowering the property value of a neighborhood in order to make room for a new building project.

8. Real Estate Litigation
One major example of a far-reaching real estate scam is one where underneath the veneer of a legitimate investment vehicle lays a "Ponzi Scheme." This is where an investor commits his/her funds to a "manager" or agent of a company who promises a certain high rate of return secured by investments in real estate.

9. American monetary association
If the Nigerian money transfer scheme weren't enough, a variety of other real estate scams continue to circulate, trapping not just sellers, but also buyers and renters.

10. Office of the District Attorney
Real property crime can take many forms, but most often involves grand theft, forgery, and a relatively recent scheme, identity theft.



11. Home Buyer Beware
Beware of a new impersonation scam that targets real estate agents and others involved in house closings ? specifically, their clients.

12. Mortgage and Real Estate Fraud
Federal investigators have identified an increase in frauds and schemes in the real estate business. These schemes victimize individuals and businesses, including low-income families lured into home loans they cannot afford, legitimate lenders saddled with over-inflated mortgages, and honest real estate investors fleeced out of their investment dollars.

13. Contra Costa County
The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office is dedicated to the investigation and prosecution of real estate related crimes. Attacking real estate crimes and other white collar criminal activity is one of the high priorities contained within the Special Operations Unit.

14. Common rental and real estate scams
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation remind individuals to be cautious when using the Internet to advertise rental properties and real estate. The IC3 continues to receive numerous complaints from individuals who have fallen victim to scams involving rentals of apartments and houses, as well as online real estate postings.

15. Stop Fraud
A Georgia real estate investor pleaded guilty today for his role in conspiracies to rig bids and commit mail fraud at public real estate foreclosure auctions in Fulton and DeKalb counties, Georgia.

16. Real Estate Fraud
The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office Bureau of Investigations investigates real estate fraud related cases occurring in San Mateo County. The type of cases which will be considered for investigation by the bureau include fraudulent real estate transactions and/or schemes such as: submission of forged loan applications; fraudulent transfer of title of real property; recordation of fraudulent real estate documents; home equity sales contract fraud; and mortgage foreclosure consultant fraud.

17. Real Estate Fraud Act issued in July
WA authorities have warned real estate and settlement agents to be on high alert following the reported real estate fraud in the ACT. Commissioner for Consumer Protection Anne Driscoll believes the criminals responsible will be encouraged by their success to make further fraud attempts.

18. Media Statements
In the most recent incident on May 11, scammers contacted the property manager of an Applecross agency claiming to be the owner of a rental property and requesting a statement be sent urgently. The agent contacted the real owner through known contact details on file and confirmed it was the beginnings of a scam attempt.

19. Real Estate Investment Schemes
While legitimate real estate investments can be an important component of a diversified portfolio, investors should be aware that schemes related to buying, renovating, flipping or pooling distressed properties are also popular with con artists. In a recent survey of the states, real estate fraud was ranked as the third most common product or practice leading to investigations and enforcement actions.

20. Real Estate fraudster arrested in Nigeria
A man has been arrested in Nigeria in connection with the attempted fraudulent sale of a home in Western Australia.

21. Investigation on Real Estate Fraud
ACT Policing is investigating a real estate fraud in which a Canberra property has been sold without the consent of the home owner, who resides overseas.

22. Know about real estate scams
Mortgage fraud is pervasive: An estimated $4 billion to $6 billion in annual losses result from mortgage fraud, according to FBI reports. "An entire community can be damaged by mortgage fraud," says Rachel Dollar, a lawyer from Santa Rosa, Calif., and editor of the Mortgage Fraud Blog. Mortgage fraud can lead to a spike in foreclosures, home values plummeting, and lenders raising their rates and fees to recover losses.

23. BBB
Fraud and scams are common in the realm of real estate. BBB serving San Diego, Orange and Imperial Counties urges you to be on the lookout so you don't fall victim. Whether you are buying, selling, or foreclosing, BBB wants to make sure you are doing so with caution.

24. 419 Scam
In this variant of the "419" Advance Fee fraud the scammer claims to be a wealthy foreigner who wants to buy property to relocate himself or his family to the United States. Most likely this scam is a variant of the check overpayment scam, where the scammer sends an oversized check, which the victim is to cash and partially forward to a person nominated by the scammer (for example, a "travel agent").