Comments on: Sarasota Real Estate SCAM – Beware Disgusting Scam Targeting Sellers! http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sarasota-real-estate-scam Sarasota Real Estate - Empowering Buyers & Sellers With A+ Service & Information! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:59:29 +0000 hourly 1 By: Phyllis Brown http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/comment-page-3/#comment-8851 Phyllis Brown Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:03:41 +0000 http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/?p=2607#comment-8851 I have been to the area last year and liked the location. Understand that I and my wife are OK with pictures and information we have seen so far as we would like to initiate the purchase process from China before we arrive USA before the end of next month. This for we would not like to lose the property. I am in China at the moment and hope to be in USA next month. The home would be a cash buy as I have attached a scanned copy of my bank statement for your reference. My contact information is Address: 414,Middle Fu Rong Road, 3rd Ring Road, Beijing, China Phone: (+86) 10 133 716 827 I would like to settle an up front deposit of $15,000 and close early Feburary. Kindly get back to me with the next step in accord. Regards, Neo Yu A bank statement from Bank of China was attached as a jpg I have been to the area last year and liked the location.

Understand that I and my wife are OK with pictures and information we have seen so far as we would like to initiate the purchase process from China before we arrive USA before the end of next month.

This for we would not like to lose the property.

I am in China at the moment and hope to be in USA next month.

The home would be a cash buy as I have attached a scanned copy of my bank statement for your reference.

My contact information is

Address: 414,Middle Fu Rong Road, 3rd Ring Road, Beijing, China
Phone: (+86) 10 133 716 827

I would like to settle an up front deposit of $15,000 and close early Feburary.

Kindly get back to me with the next step in accord.

Regards,
Neo Yu
A bank statement from Bank of China was attached as a jpg

]]> By: Suzanne Ormsby http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/comment-page-3/#comment-8678 Suzanne Ormsby Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:37:38 +0000 http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/?p=2607#comment-8678 A quick PS.... My hubby and I also have a bail bonding company and when people jump bond we get a bail jumping warrent. It's amazing how many of our bondees have gotten caught at road blocks in other states. A quick PS…. My hubby and I also have a bail bonding company and when people jump bond we get a bail jumping warrent. It’s amazing how many of our bondees have gotten caught at road blocks in other states.

]]> By: Suzanne Ormsby http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/comment-page-3/#comment-8677 Suzanne Ormsby Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:35:30 +0000 http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/?p=2607#comment-8677 Hey Tony of RC! My old stomping grounds 20 some odd years ago. Sis still lives there but visits GA often. I'm also with REMAX and did forward Dave Linger my chain of emails with this scammer as scammer found me on the remax.com website and registered himself as a prospect. I asked our real estate icon to please block my scammer at least. These jerks being in Canada maybe makes it impossible to stop, just like those telemarketing calls that come from there, despite your being on the do not call list. I tried stringing my scammer along a little and asked for a rather large retainer fee payable to my brokerage, but he insisted on attorney infomation again. We don't do earnest money like that down here. Almost always goes to the listing broker trust account or their FC attorney. I'd like to see a criminal charge when the check is found to be fraudulent. Might not arrest the scammer right away but he if ever got stopped at a road block in the USA and cop runs him through NCIC they'd find a warrent for arrest and off he/she goes to tell it to the judge , who might not give them a bail bond so quick with a mass fraud charge. We all should string the scammers along so at least the supposed deposit checks bounce and our brokers can then file charges. In GA anyway, closing attorney's have gotten very wary of any cash buyers due to so many scams involving fake cashier checks at closing. Many a lawyer here had to pay the seller after closing when funds didn't clear and they recorded the deeds immediatley after closing. I personally know one who got scammed and he doesn't even trust cash these days. Yep - buyer came with $72K cash to close. Took hours to first get the pen that checks if fake and check every bill 3 times. Try explaining to an asset manager that your buyer hates banks and only uses cash. FNMA AM's don't like that too much. LOL> There is also a way to verify if a drivers license if fake in our state but I won't share that in case the hackers or scammers try that one down the road. Hey Tony of RC! My old stomping grounds 20 some odd years ago. Sis still lives there but visits GA often. I’m also with REMAX and did forward Dave Linger my chain of emails with this scammer as scammer found me on the remax.com website and registered himself as a prospect. I asked our real estate icon to please block my scammer at least. These jerks being in Canada maybe makes it impossible to stop, just like those telemarketing calls that come from there, despite your being on the do not call list. I tried stringing my scammer along a little and asked for a rather large retainer fee payable to my brokerage, but he insisted on attorney infomation again. We don’t do earnest money like that down here. Almost always goes to the listing broker trust account or their FC attorney. I’d like to see a criminal charge when the check is found to be fraudulent. Might not arrest the scammer right away but he if ever got stopped at a road block in the USA and cop runs him through NCIC they’d find a warrent for arrest and off he/she goes to tell it to the judge , who might not give them a bail bond so quick with a mass fraud charge. We all should string the scammers along so at least the supposed deposit checks bounce and our brokers can then file charges. In GA anyway, closing attorney’s have gotten very wary of any cash buyers due to so many scams involving fake cashier checks at closing. Many a lawyer here had to pay the seller after closing when funds didn’t clear and they recorded the deeds immediatley after closing. I personally know one who got scammed and he doesn’t even trust cash these days. Yep – buyer came with $72K cash to close. Took hours to first get the pen that checks if fake and check every bill 3 times. Try explaining to an asset manager that your buyer hates banks and only uses cash. FNMA AM’s don’t like that too much. LOL> There is also a way to verify if a drivers license if fake in our state but I won’t share that in case the hackers or scammers try that one down the road.

]]> By: Tony Hensley http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/comment-page-3/#comment-8676 Tony Hensley Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:53:44 +0000 http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/?p=2607#comment-8676 I just had the same thing happen or I am in the middle of it. Thanks for posting. Typed his info in google and got this web site. Is there any way to prosecute this or at least stop it? This person still thinks I am sending him a contract. Thanks Tony Hensley Re/Max of Rapid City I just had the same thing happen or I am in the middle of it. Thanks for posting. Typed his info in google and got this web site. Is there any way to prosecute this or at least stop it? This person still thinks I am sending him a contract.
Thanks
Tony Hensley
Re/Max of Rapid City

]]> By: Sarasota Realtor http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/comment-page-3/#comment-8653 Sarasota Realtor Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:21:00 +0000 http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/?p=2607#comment-8653 Excellent, Marjorie! Thank you for sharing this tip. It's a good one. Mike Excellent, Marjorie! Thank you for sharing this tip. It’s a good one.

Mike

]]> By: Marjorie Rosenfeld http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/comment-page-3/#comment-8652 Marjorie Rosenfeld Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:15:03 +0000 http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/?p=2607#comment-8652 One thing you might do is check on where a suspicious e-mail came from. I mean REALLY came from. You can do this at: http://www.iana.org/abuse/answers What you have to do first is reveal the headers for a given message. You can do this in Windows 7 by opening the message and clicking on File and then Properties. Look for the last set of numbers in square brackets unless you see "Originating IP." Scroll down, highlight, and copy either the last set of numbers in square brackets (last means toward the bottom of the list of numbers) or the numbers in square brackets after Originating IP. These are what you'll need to enter in the Whois search windows you'll find at the link above. I used to get various scam messages all the time from 3 men in Lagos, Nigeria. The other day I got a scam message from a fellow in Hungary. Sometimes you can't trace a message because it may come from a "black hole" address. But it's satisfying, when you can trace a message purporting to come from someone in the U.S., UK, or Canada, to find that the message didn't come from any of these places at all. Then you know for sure that the sender is a scammer. What you can do, of course, when you find out where a scam message actually came from (and maybe even who really sent it) is probably not much. I used to report these messages to the FCC but never got even so much as an acknowledgement from that organization. At least, though, you can usually verify that someone is trying to scam you and stop wasting your time and energy. Marjorie Rosenfeld (Homeowner) Carlsbad, CA One thing you might do is check on where a suspicious e-mail came from. I mean REALLY came from. You can do this at:

http://www.iana.org/abuse/answers

What you have to do first is reveal the headers for a given message. You can do this in Windows 7 by opening the message and clicking on File and then Properties. Look for the last set of numbers in square brackets unless you see “Originating IP.” Scroll down, highlight, and copy either the last set of numbers in square brackets (last means toward the bottom of the list of numbers) or the numbers in square brackets after Originating IP. These are what you’ll need to enter in the Whois search windows you’ll find at the link above.

I used to get various scam messages all the time from 3 men in Lagos, Nigeria. The other day I got a scam message from a fellow in Hungary. Sometimes you can’t trace a message because it may come from a “black hole” address. But it’s satisfying, when you can trace a message purporting to come from someone in the U.S., UK, or Canada, to find that the message didn’t come from any of these places at all. Then you know for sure that the sender is a scammer.

What you can do, of course, when you find out where a scam message actually came from (and maybe even who really sent it) is probably not much. I used to report these messages to the FCC but never got even so much as an acknowledgement from that organization. At least, though, you can usually verify that someone is trying to scam you and stop wasting your time and energy.

Marjorie Rosenfeld (Homeowner)
Carlsbad, CA

]]> By: Sarasota Realtor http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/comment-page-3/#comment-8650 Sarasota Realtor Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:38:17 +0000 http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/?p=2607#comment-8650 Lucille, you ask a great question. As you can see, many of our colleagues also have asked the same question: "HOW can this scam be stopped?" With all the big-box sites (including Trulia, Zillow, Homes.com, Realtor.com, etc) I struck out trying to get them to WARN all agents and consumers who visit their site. I reported to my local board; Florida Association of Realtors & National Association of Realtors - NO INTEREST in warning membership. I also reported to local police, the Florida State Attorney General's office & the FBI - NO REGARD. Instead of giving up, I documented my experience. Many agents/consumers since have found this page and added details to it. Once again, it is all of us agents/consumers HELPING each other to STOP this scam. It just seems to me if the big-box sites and NAR warned all visitors and members, this scam would die an instant death. Seriously, I don't get it - I still don't get it. WHY WILL Zillow and NAR (refuse) to warn people????? I didn't get it then, and 2 years later I still don't get it. Too many people continue to get hurt financially & emotionally. Last week, a property owner contacted me. As with many other similar stories, this property owner thought their house was selling...faster than they had imagined. Their agent excitedly presented the offer - they accepted. Their escrow agent deposited earnest money - more than what they had expected. Buyer wanted quick close. Seller hired movers, leased a short term rental & moved out. Suddenly, the roof caved in. Escrow agent reported the FRAUD....and downhill from there. They had moved out, incurring hefty moving costs. They rented a place, losing their $2900 deposit. They had to move back into their home, the home they thought they had sold..... Zillow, Trulia, Homes.com, Realtor.com, Florida (& every other state's) Association of Realtors, National Association of Realtors & local/state/federal law enforcement - WE THE DUES PAYING MEMBERS AND CONSUMERS NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!! Stop this scam once and for all..... Lucille, you ask a great question. As you can see, many of our colleagues also have asked the same question: “HOW can this scam be stopped?”

With all the big-box sites (including Trulia, Zillow, Homes.com, Realtor.com, etc) I struck out trying to get them to WARN all agents and consumers who visit their site.

I reported to my local board; Florida Association of Realtors & National Association of Realtors – NO INTEREST in warning membership.

I also reported to local police, the Florida State Attorney General’s office & the FBI – NO REGARD.

Instead of giving up, I documented my experience. Many agents/consumers since have found this page and added details to it. Once again, it is all of us agents/consumers HELPING each other to STOP this scam. It just seems to me if the big-box sites and NAR warned all visitors and members, this scam would die an instant death. Seriously, I don’t get it – I still don’t get it. WHY WILL Zillow and NAR (refuse) to warn people?????

I didn’t get it then, and 2 years later I still don’t get it. Too many people continue to get hurt financially & emotionally.

Last week, a property owner contacted me.

As with many other similar stories, this property owner thought their house was selling…faster than they had imagined.

Their agent excitedly presented the offer – they accepted.

Their escrow agent deposited earnest money – more than what they had expected.

Buyer wanted quick close.

Seller hired movers, leased a short term rental & moved out.

Suddenly, the roof caved in. Escrow agent reported the FRAUD….and downhill from there.

They had moved out, incurring hefty moving costs.

They rented a place, losing their $2900 deposit.

They had to move back into their home, the home they thought they had sold…..

Zillow, Trulia, Homes.com, Realtor.com, Florida (& every other state’s) Association of Realtors, National Association of Realtors & local/state/federal law enforcement – WE THE DUES PAYING MEMBERS AND CONSUMERS NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!!

Stop this scam once and for all…..

]]> By: Lucille Bronstein http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/comment-page-3/#comment-8648 Lucille Bronstein Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:29:41 +0000 http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/?p=2607#comment-8648 Also received email from a Dr. Eskander working with Karen Jamieson from Global Financial. Looking to purchase in the USA. He sent a "certified check" from Citi bank, but looks suspicious for a deposit. The amount much greater than required. This is in New York. How can this type of scam be stopped? Also received email from a Dr. Eskander working with Karen Jamieson from Global Financial. Looking to purchase in the USA. He sent a “certified check” from Citi bank, but looks suspicious for a deposit. The amount much greater than required. This is in New York. How can this type of scam be stopped?

]]> By: Sarasota Realtor http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/comment-page-3/#comment-8612 Sarasota Realtor Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:28:57 +0000 http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/?p=2607#comment-8612 I'm glad I could help you, Mary. Congratulations to you for questioning their inquiry - and confirming the scam. Mike I’m glad I could help you, Mary. Congratulations to you for questioning their inquiry – and confirming the scam.

Mike

]]> By: Mary Lahusky Cannon http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/sarasota-real-estate-scam/comment-page-3/#comment-8611 Mary Lahusky Cannon Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:26:05 +0000 http://www.sarasotahomesforsalenow.com/?p=2607#comment-8611 Hi Mike, I just wanted to say thank you for posting this information. It just happened to me and at least three others in my office alone. I was searching, trying to find information and I came across your site. I copied and pasted your link and sent it to all of our agents. I agree with you that our Board/s should at the very least send out an email warning us. Thanks again! Mary Lahusky Cannon RE/MAX Prestige Realty 301 Clematis St West Palm Beach, FL 33401 palmbeachmary@gmail.com Hi Mike,

I just wanted to say thank you for posting this information. It just happened to me and at least three others in my office alone. I was searching, trying to find information and I came across your site. I copied and pasted your link and sent it to all of our agents. I agree with you that our Board/s should at the very least send out an email warning us. Thanks again!

Mary Lahusky Cannon
RE/MAX Prestige Realty
301 Clematis St
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
palmbeachmary@gmail.com

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