Fraud Alert: Land Scams Remain Prevalent in Colorado
WARNING OF ONGOING CRIMINAL LAND SALES IN DOUGLAS COUNTY AND BEYOND
October 2024 Update:
The Colorado Association of REALTORS recently received an update from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office about another recent surge in criminal land sales cases. Please read below to learn more about these land sale scams, and how to spot and report them.
CAR has been made aware that Douglas County and possibly other counties across Colorado are experiencing a surge in related scams regarding sales of vacant land with multiple open criminal cases. The unknown scammer pretends to be the owner of vacant land who wants to put it up for sale on a quick turnaround basis.
The scammer exhibits every single one of the red flags which are pointed out in CAR and NAR documentation on vacant land fraud.
In these cases, the scammer tries to list vacant land with no mortgage. He wants to sell it at below market prices for a quick sale. The scammer makes it clear there can be no in person communications, and that all communications are to be done by text or email. The scammer tells the real estate agent one of several stories about why he is out of town. He insists on a remote, no-contact closing, typically using a “local” notary of his choosing. He will not accept a local notary selected by the title company.
The scammer has presented fraudulent driver’s licenses and fraudulent passports as identification. He uses “spoofed” phone numbers and untraceable email addresses.
Please be particularly vigilant before accepting any listing when these red flags are present. Please see the links below for more information about how to avoid vacant land scams in Colorado.
If you believe you have been in contact with a scammer about fraudulent land sales in Douglas County, please reach out to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office of Investigations Financial Crimes Unit. They can be reached at 303-663-7248 or [email protected].
If you believe you have been in contact with a scammer about fraudulent land sales in any other area of Colorado, please reach out to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation at [email protected].