The C.A.R. Legal Hotline has received several calls from listing agents who, after taking a listing on vacant land, have become suspicious that the person who signed their listing is not the actual owner. This aligns with a nationwide trend of title companies reporting that vacant land property scams are on the rise.

The Scam
Of course, in this scam, the “owner” is not actually the owner at all but instead is an identity theft criminal.  The criminal poses as the owner of vacant land and, taking advantage of e-notaries and online communications, attempt to defraud the actual owner, the buyer and every service provider involved by selling the property under market with an exceptionally quick escrow and pocketing the proceeds.

Know the tell-tale signs and red flags of the vacant land property scam
These criminals usually use a number of tactics designed to keep their crimes from being discovered until it’s too late.
     •  They typically target unencumbered property
     •  Vacant land is usually involved. Otherwise, the chances of the true owner finding
         out are much higher.
     •  Ditto for estate property where the property has not been…

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