Earlier this week, I got a phone call from someone eager to sell their vacant land – fast. They claimed they just wanted to break even, nothing more. Sounds generous, right? It’s not. It’s a scam, and a surprisingly common one at that.
Here’s how it usually plays out: A scammer finds a piece of vacant land that belongs to someone else – often someone who lives out of state or hasn’t touched the property in years. Using publicly available records and a dash of nerve, they pose as the rightful owner and contact a real estate agent (like me), hoping to unload the land before anyone gets wise.
The scammer is always in a hurry. They prefer email or text over phone calls. They want to close remotely, quickly and without fuss. They don’t haggle over price. In fact, they make it all sound so easy, you almost forget that real estate isn’t supposed to be easy.
Now, I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve been around long enough to know when something doesn’t smell right – and this one stunk of fraud. The red flags were practically doing the cha-cha. So, I did what any responsible broker would do: I refused the listing and reported it.
Unfortunately, not everyone catches it in time. These scams can – and do – succeed. When they do, the rightful landowner has to untangle a legal nightmare, often learning their property has been “sold” only after it’s too late.
So how do you protect yourself from having your land sold out from under you? First, know that owning property isn’t a “set it and forget it” situation. If you have land – especially if it’s vacant – keep your contact info updated with the county. Check in on it once in a while, even if you’re not actively using it. If you’ve inherited property, make sure the title is properly transferred to your name and the county records reflect that.
Title theft is a real thing and, while it doesn’t happen often, when it does, it’s a mess. Consider placing a fraud alert with your title company or asking your county recorder if they offer a property monitoring service. Some counties do – often for free.
And if you’re a buyer or an agent, don’t ignore your instincts. If something feels off – if the seller doesn’t want to talk on the phone, or if they’re overly eager to sell with no real profit motive – pause. Ask questions. Confirm ID. Triple-check ownership records. And if your spidey senses are still tingling, maybe give someone like me a call.
Because in real estate, as in life, if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.
If you’d like to learn more about the current local market conditions, reach out to Theresa Grant, Real Estate Broker (DRE #01202881), at Theresa@HomesInLakeArrowhead.com. You can also follow on social: Instagram, @theresagrantrealtor | YouTube: @theresagrantrealtor. Theresa is a Broker Associate with REAL Broker Technologies.
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