Hey all,
I’ve been looking at more deals lately and starting to realize how many sketchy things are out there. From fake rental listings to shady wholesalers, it feels like there’s always someone trying to cut corners or flat-out scam people.
What are some real estate scams you’ve seen or had to deal with? Anything you wish you’d caught earlier? I’m trying to stay sharp, especially when looking at off-market stuff or working with people I haven’t met before.
Would appreciate any heads-up or stories you’re willing to share.
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Saw a rental listed on Facebook for $1,200/month, great area, too good to be true. Turned out someone copied a legit Zillow listing and put their name on it.
Found a good off-market deal, but the seller couldn’t prove ownership. Turned out it was a tenant trying to flip the place behind the landlord’s back.
I’m still new to all this, but already had a weird experience someone posted a “4-unit for sale by owner” on FB Marketplace. I asked to see it and the guy kept avoiding giving the address, saying he’d “drive me there” but didn’t want to send photos until I signed an NDA .
I bailed fast.
Oh man, I almost fell for one in 2022. Found a great off-market duplex in a Facebook group. The “owner” claimed they were out of the country and wanted a quick cash close, sent me some impressive-looking docs too. Something felt off so I checked public records. Guess what? The real owner was a completely different name. The scammer had just lifted the pics and created fake ownership docs.