A Louisiana woman, DaNita Batiste, is fighting to reclaim the title to her family’s land in Lake Charles after scammers stole her identity and sold the property for $45,000 cash. Using a fake ID, a forged notary stamp, and bogus witness signatures, the fraudsters transferred the deed to unsuspecting buyers, leaving Batiste stunned when she discovered the fraudulent sale while paying her property taxes. Though the payment was frozen and reversed, her rightful ownership remains tangled in a legal mess, highlighting the flaws in deed verification processes.
Authorities believe this scam may be tied to an international crime ring targeting vacant or inherited properties owned by out-of-state residents. Investigators traced the fraudulent funds to a New York bank account linked to a forged Sierra Leone passport, suggesting a wider network of real estate scams across the country. For Batiste, whose family has owned the land for over 200 years, the crime is not just financial but deeply personal, as she hoped to preserve the property for future generations.
This story was first reported by realtor.com
