Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,
American citizens who own vacant property parcels are being targeted by criminals in an identity theft scheme.
“Criminals create fake identifications (drivers licenses and/or U.S. passports), Outlook email addresses, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) generated phone numbers and use them to impersonate landowners,” the FBI said in a June 16 public service announcement alert.
The malicious actors “can obtain property parcel owner’s personally identifiable information through county or state public websites, data brokers, stolen account information, phishing schemes, or purchased from the dark web or hackers.”
The scammers approach a local realtor or title company while posing as a legitimate parcel owner and sell the properties, according to the FBI. In one instance, a fake deed was used to convince realtors of the sale’s validity.
Once the sale is done, the fraudsters ask for the sale money to be sent to an out-of-state attorney, who is also part of the scheme.
In an August 2024 statement, the American Land Title Association revealed the results of a study showing that 28 percent of title insurance companies experienced at least one seller impersonation fraud attempt in 2023.
The study “also showed that seller impersonation fraud often is caught before the real estate closing is completed. Forty-six percent of companies said identifying and preventing fraudulent transactions before closing was at least somewhat common, compared with 26 percent after closing,” the association said.
The FBI said criminals posing as legitimate sellers in these schemes often communicate only via text, email, or VoIP numbers. They avoid direct meetings, citing excuses such as illness or personal emergencies.
Other signs of such fraud include the seller having limited knowledge of the property, lacking proper documentation, and pressuring to quickly close the sale.
People who plan on buying properties should send a certified letter to the address listed on the land tax record to verify the seller’s legitimacy, the agency said.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) warned in an Oct. 22, 2025, statement that owners of vacant properties were at most risk of being targeted by real estate scammers.
Roughly six in 10 real estate experts said they saw instances of title fraud over the previous year. In title fraud, the scammer attempts to illegally transfer ownership or deed of the property. Only 12 percent of such title fraud cases in the previous year involved properties occupied by owners. An overwhelming 62 percent of fraud was related to vacant lands.
“Vacant parcels of land are a favorite target among title pirates because they are not occupied, and they are not usually closely monitored by their actual title owner, who may even be located out of state,” said attorney Victor Petrescu, partner at Levine Kellogg Lehman Schneider + Grossman LLP, according to the NAR statement.
In April, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed SB 1479 into law, which aims to tackle the issue.
The legislation requires individuals who submit property deals in person to present valid photo identification. County assessors are required to offer a system that allows property owners to opt in to receive alerts when there are changes to ownership or mailing address, according to a House of Representatives document.
In a Feb. 11 statement, Arizona state Sen. Frank Carroll, who sponsored the bill, said: “When criminals are able to forge documents, record false claims, or quietly transfer property without the rightful owner’s knowledge, it erodes trust in our entire system.
“We are enhancing identity verification, increasing penalties for offenders, improving notification systems, and ensuring that no property changes hands without proper approval.”