TLDR
The FBI is warning about a real estate fraud scheme where criminals impersonate owners of vacant land parcels to illegally sell the property without consent. Scammers harvest owner PII from public county records, data brokers, phishing, or...
How it works
The FBI is warning about a real estate fraud scheme where criminals impersonate owners of vacant land parcels to illegally sell the property without consent. Scammers harvest owner PII from public county records, data brokers, phishing, or...
Red flags
- Seller communicates only via email, text, or VoIP and refuses any in person meeting, citing illness or travel Pressure to close fast, often with below market pricing to expedite the sale Payment requested by international or domestic wire transfer to an unrelated name or location
What to do
- 1Enroll in your County Recorder notification service to get alerts when documents are filed in your name Send a certified letter to the address on the land tax record to verify the seller's identity before closing Review your title insurance policy for post policy forgery protection that covers legal costs to clear your title
Source
FAQ
Is FBI Warns of Landowner Impersonation Scam Targeting Property Owners a real scam pattern?
Yes. Treat the message, call, or payment request as suspicious until you verify it through an official channel.
What are the first warning signs?
Seller communicates only via email, text, or VoIP and refuses any in person meeting, citing illness or travel Pressure to close fast, often with below market pricing to expedite the sale Payment requested by international or domestic wire transfer to an unrelated name or location
What should I do first?
Enroll in your County Recorder notification service to get alerts when documents are filed in your name Send a certified letter to the address on the land tax record to verify the seller's identity before closing Review your title insurance policy for post policy forgery protection that covers legal costs to clear your title
Can LegalAudit check my case?
Yes. Start a free chat and paste the message, link, sender, or payment details for triage.