There are a lot of things in life that don’t come easy. This includes things like money, a home, and happiness. Often times, these things are usually pretty worth the effort they take to earn. Unfortunately, since they do require so much effort to get, there are many people out there that would much rather take a shortcut to get these things.
These people are often called scammers. Instead of working to get something for themselves, scammers attempt to take things from others by manipulating their intended victims. Yet another scam going around involves scammers stealing the rights to a home out from underneath the homeowner.
They Target Lightly Used Property
Owning a home is a big accomplishment, and the building itself is very important to the people living within it. No one ever wants to lose their home, which is why people do everything they can to protect their home. Unfortunately, some scammers have figured out a way to take ownership of a home from the actual owners.
The scam starts with the scammer finding some property to steal. Typically, the scammers will target places like rentals, vacation homes, or vacant pieces of property. They like this kind of property because it is not as carefully watched over as a person’s home would be.
Once a target has been selected, the scammer locates the owner and steals their identity by taking the victim’s personal information. This can easily be done online, or by stealing the victim’s mail.
From there, the scammer acquires documents to transfer property. They fill out the paperwork to transfer the property from the real owner to themselves and forge the victim’s signature. They then file the paperwork with the proper authorities. Once they have done that, the property belongs to the scammer in the eyes of the law. It would likely take a lengthy court battle to get the property back, if at all.
Keep an Eye Out for This Scam
Some of the best ways to avoid this scam include, shredding documents once they are no longer needed, and never personal information. This includes over the phone, through email, or online with social media accounts.
Another good tip is to keep an eye on mail. Counties usually send copies documents about property to the property in question. If a person sees documents about their property that they don’t recognize, they should look into it right away, especially if the document has a signature of theirs that doesn’t look right. Lastly, property owners should be very wary if they suddenly stop receiving any utility bills or property tax forms for the property. That can be a major red flag.
Don’t Get Scammed
No one ever wants to lose their home, or any of their property for that matter. They spend a lot of time, money, and effort to get it. Unfortunately, there are plenty of scammers out there looking to take advantage of hardworking people. In order to avoid getting scammed, people need to stay vigilant, and trust their guts when they suspect that something might be wrong. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry.