One of the largest industries in existence is the buying and selling of real estate, and annual losses in real estate scams worldwide add up to billions of dollars lost. If buying or selling a house, commercial property, or land, you need to be careful to avoid falling victim to one.
Real estate investment seminar scams, promising a formula for getting rich in real estate if only one invests, are common during both boom and bust cycles in the real estate market.
Also, be sure to watch for real estate email scams in your inbox.
Other common real estate scams include fraudulent listings, such as pictures and descriptions that aren’t of the property that is being advertised for sale.
Be careful in real estate dealings. Keep an eye on this page to learn about real estate scams as they emerge, and know how to spot them coming. See below:
Realtor.com Leads Scam: How It Works Beware of a new rip-off going around these days, which is being added to the plethora of other real estate scams that have been hitting the industry lately. This new con targets agents who invest in buying online leads from platforms like Realtor.com and Zillow, which are great in … Buy Real Estate Leads From Realtor.com Read More »
Delusions of grandeur, impressing others and free stuff are some of the reasons for the latest "phenomena" Real estate agents selling in the luxury market find it inevitable that they will have to ward off a fake buyer. There are impostors that fabricate richly woven tale of success and affluence hiding behind the internet … Fake Luxury Real Estate Buyers: A Nuisance To Watch Out For Read More »
Fake Luxury Real Estate Buyers: A Nuisance To Watch Out For Read More
Residential Real Estate Tips/Home Buying Scams That You Should Know The real estate industry is a sector that’s extremely profitable if done right. If you think about it, a house is the most expensive item that a person buys over his/her lifetime. Big money, big opportunities. However, on the same token, criminals prey on the … 10 Real Estate Scams That You Need To Avoid Today Read More »
How the scam works: There is a new scam targeting real estate professionals in the United States, Canada and Australia. If you are an agent or broker, you may be receiving these days an email or text message claiming to be from the National Association of Realtors (USA), Canadian Real Estate Association or Real Estate … Fake National Realtor Association Notice Read More »
How the scam works: (with video below) You are a great householder and take care of your property every day. As you constantly make some improvements, don't fall for the Home Renovations Scam, even if you are not even going through a complete makeover. The small jobs are where a quick buck is made by … Home Improvement: Renovations Fraud Read More »
Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Fraud: How It Works (with video below) You are looking online for affordable housing. After a long research, it seems your efforts have paid off. As you are browsing the web, you come across a link that offers you a spot on the Housing Choice Voucher Program through … Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program Read More »
How the scam works: (with video below) Watch out for the Mortgage Loan Modification scam, coming from 'specialists' supposedly working for HARP (Home Affordable Refinance Program) or HAMP (Home Affordable Modification Program). Let's take a look. With the recent recession, loan modifications have become a very popular way for people to make their mortgage payments … Mortgage Loan Modification Through HAMP or HARP Programs Read More »
Mortgage Loan Modification Through HAMP or HARP Programs Read More
Property Tax Payment Scam: How It Works (with video below) Beware of the Property Tax Payment scam, aka Property Tax Help scam. Criminals call random numbers in your city and tell the homeowners they represent the local administration (County Treasurer's Office, City Hall, etc).. Then they proceed to tell the resident that their property will … Property Tax Payment Read More »
How the scam works: The day you receive the keys to your new home is one of the most exciting days of a person's life. The thrill of home ownership comes with a hefty price tag though. There are appraisal fees, listing fees, closing costs and other unforeseen expenses that go along with the home-buying … Record Retrieval Document Scam Read More »
How the scam works: The Land Registry is a government agency in the United Kingdom, whose purpose is to register all property ownership in the country. Recently an email has been circulating to British homeowners allegedly from the Land Registry. This email contains a warning to property owners, indicating that they owe an outstanding … Land Registry Scam (UK) Read More »
Post Office Change of Address: How The Scam Works (with video below) Be aware of a new scam that is happening these days, the Post Office Change of Address aka the Free Change of Address Scam. We'll see how the scam works, how to avoid it, and how to report it. Whether we go to school … Post Office Change Of Address Read More »
How the scam works: Paying property tax – what is known in Great Britain as Council Tax – is never a fun thing to do. But it's made even more harrowing when scammers infiltrate the system and compromise taxpayers' identities and bank accounts. A fake corporation has been sending residents a questionnaire which asks for … Council Tax Reduction Read More »
How the scam works: (with video below) If you’re like millions of others around the world, you spend at least part of your day socializing or playing games on Facebook. However, the frequency of security updates has provided scammers the opportunity to create a new phishing scam which will allow them to gain access to … Facebook Fan Page Verification Read More »
Deed Copy Letter Scam: How It Works (with video below) Beware of the Deed Copy Letter scam happening these days all over the country. Let's look into it. The day you receive the keys to your new home is one of the most exciting days of a person's life. The thrill of home ownership … Deed Copy Letter Read More »
How the scam works: Purchasing a new home is one of the most exciting moments of your life. But there are always scammers who will try and take advantage of the copious amounts of paperwork that the task requires to scam you out of your hard-earned money, which of course you need now more than … Copies Of Your New Property Records Read More »
How the scam works: Purchasing real estate in a foreign country can be a tricky prospect, as real estate transaction laws can vary widely from country to country. Purchasing real estate in a foreign country under a corporate umbrella only adds to the complexity of an already complex situation. There is a scam circulating involving … Properties in Chile Read More »
How the scam works: In today’s housing market it can be difficult to sell a home (or even a restaurant). Many homeowners looking to relocate are finding themselves sitting on a home they are unable to move. Therefore, when they receive an offer of purchase they are usually so excited that they fail to see … Foreign Buyer/Investor Read More »
Are you just about to make a purchase online? See if the website is legit with our validator:
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