Quick Summary
Vacant land can be especially attractive to seller impersonators because a criminal does not need access to a house to convincingly pose as its owner. In San Luis Obispo County, investigators say 120 local properties have been identified as targets as scammers use remote listings, forged signatures and compromised notary stamps to move fraudulent sales toward closing.
In San Luis Obispo County, California, prosecutors are warning about organized real estate fraud in which criminals impersonate legitimate property owners and attempt to sell land that does not belong to them. The scheme can begin with a remote message to an unsuspecting real estate agent requesting that a property be listed. After a legitimate buyer makes an offer and a title company becomes involved, the impersonator claims to be out of the area and asks for closing documents by email. Forged signatures and fraudulent notary stamps can then be returned as if they came from the actual owner.
Local real estate professionals say vacant land is particularly attractive because an impersonator does not need physical access to a residence. The threat is more than theoretical. A suspect was recently sentenced to a year in county jail after attempting to sell a vacant lot while posing as a relative of its owner. Since establishing an information-sharing network with local Realtors in 2023, investigators say they have identified 120 targeted properties, 24 compromised notary commission stamps, and 70 bank accounts connected to the movement of funds. In almost all identified property cases, officials say the potential sale was stopped.
This story was first posted on KSBY 6
