Seller Impersonation and Title Fraud: How Scammers Target Vacant Land, Second Homes, and Other Properties

When people think about real estate scams, they often picture a fake rental listing or a fake wire instruction during a home closing. Those scams are serious, but there’s another type of real estate fraud that can be just as disturbing. In this scam, the criminal is not just pretending to sell a property. They may be pretending to be the property owner.

Seller impersonation and title fraud can happen when a scammer poses as the owner of a property, lists that property for sale, and tries to collect the sale proceeds before the real owner finds out that the property is being sold.

This kind of scam often targets vacant land, second homes, inherited property, and rental properties. Scammers may also look for properties that are owned free and clear, meaning there’s no mortgage payoff or lender involved, which may mean fewer built-in checkpoints during a fraudulent sale attempt.

The FBI has warned about these schemes, including cases where criminals comb through public records, identify vacant parcels or properties without liens, impersonate the owner, and try to sell the property through a real estate transaction. The FBI says these scams may go undetected until after money has already been wired and the fraudulent sale has been recorded.

How seller impersonation scams usually work

The basic idea is simple. The scammer pretends to be the property owner. They may start by searching public property records. Those records can show who owns a property, where tax bills are sent, whether there’s a mortgage, and other details that help a criminal build a believable story.

From there, the scammer may contact a real estate agent and say they want to sell the property. They may claim they’re out of state, traveling, sick, caring for family, or otherwise unable to meet in person. They may push for a quick sale, an all-cash buyer, or a price low enough to draw fast interest.

The FBI’s Newark field office described one version of this scam involving a fake property owner who wants to sell a vacant lot, asks for an all-cash sale, and pushes for a quick closing while the real owner has no idea the land is being sold.

Common pieces of the scam may include:

• A property the real owner doesn’t visit often

• A seller who communicates only by phone, email, text, or messaging app

• A story explaining why the seller can’t appear in person

• Fake identification documents

• Forged signatures

• Fake notary stamps or seals

• Pressure to close quickly

• A below-market price

• Instructions to wire money to the supposed seller

The scary part is that this can look like a normal real estate transaction from the outside. There may be a listing. There may be documents. There may be emails, calls, and closing steps. But behind it all, the person claiming to be the owner is not the owner.

Why vacant land and second homes are attractive targets

Scammers like targets where no one is watching closely. Vacant land can be especially vulnerable because there may be no tenant, no neighborly routine, no lights going on and off, and no one checking the mailbox every day. If a “For Sale” sign appears on a vacant lot, the real owner may not see it for weeks or months.

Second homes and inherited properties can create similar problems. If the owner lives far away, visits only occasionally, or if contact and ownership records are outdated after a family death, the property may be easier for a criminal to target.

Properties owned free and clear may also attract attention. When a property has a mortgage or lien, there are more parties involved and more paperwork to satisfy. A property with no mortgage payoff or lender involved may look easier to move through a fraudulent sale attempt.

Real estate fraud prevention guidance from title professionals has also warned that these schemes often involve vacant land, sellers who are not physically present, quick closings, all-cash transactions, and sellers who seem unusually indifferent to normal costs or details.

Is this the same as title fraud?

Seller impersonation and title fraud are closely related, but they're not always exactly the same. Seller impersonation usually means the criminal is pretending to be the owner in order to sell the property. Title fraud, sometimes called deed fraud or home title theft, usually means someone uses forged or fraudulent documents to make it look like ownership was transferred.

The FTC describes title fraud as a form of identity theft where someone pretends to be you and transfers your deed to someone else.

Either way, the result can be a nightmare for the real owner. Even if the fraud can eventually be corrected, the owner may have to deal with attorneys, law enforcement, title issues, financial loss, and a lot of stress.

It's important not to panic, though. A scammer can't magically “lock you out” of your home just because they file something suspicious. But a fraudulent deed or fraudulent sale can create a serious legal mess that requires you to act quickly.

A quick word about “title lock” services

You may have seen ads warning that someone can steal your home title and that you need a paid service to stop it. Be careful with those claims.

The FTC says “title lock insurance” isn't actually title insurance and doesn't prevent someone from fraudulently transferring a deed. It’s more like a monitoring service. In other words, it may alert you after something has been recorded, but it doesn’t necessarily stop the document from being filed in the first place.

That doesn’t mean monitoring is useless. Early warning can matter a lot. But people should understand what they're actually buying.

In many places, you may not need to pay for a private service at all. Some county or state land records offices offer free property fraud alerts or consumer notification systems.

For example, Massachusetts says each Registry of Deeds offers a free consumer notification system for homeowners, and people who sign up can receive an email alert if a new document is recorded in their name.

Warning signs of seller impersonation fraud

Not every warning sign proves fraud. Sometimes people really are out of state. Sometimes people really do need to sell quickly. Sometimes land really is priced aggressively. The danger increases when several warning signs show up together.

Watch for:

• The property is vacant land, a second home, inherited property, or another property the owner rarely visits

• The seller refuses or avoids meeting in person

• The seller will only communicate by email, text, or messaging apps

• The seller claims to be overseas, traveling, ill, or unavailable

• The seller wants a quick, cash-only sale

• The asking price seems unusually low

• The seller is not concerned about normal closing costs, fees, or details

• The seller’s identification, signature, or notarized documents seem suspicious

• Wire instructions change or lead to an unexpected account

• The seller pushes people to move faster than normal

For buyers, agents, attorneys, and title companies, the key is not to treat identity verification as a formality. The person selling the property needs to be independently verified, especially when the transaction is remote, rushed, or unusual.

What property owners can do to protect themselves

You can’t make yourself invisible in public property records, and you can’t control every scammer who may search those records. But you can make it more likely that you’ll notice a problem early.

What you can do:

• Sign up for property fraud alerts or consumer notification alerts through your county registry, recorder, or land records office if available

• Periodically search your property records online

• Search your property address online to see whether it appears in unexpected listings

• Make sure your mailing address is current with the tax collector, assessor, registry, or recorder

• Pay attention if you suddenly stop receiving tax bills, water bills, or other property-related mail

• Ask a trusted neighbor, family member, or property manager to keep an eye on vacant land, second homes, or inherited property

• Drive by the property periodically if it’s nearby

• Be careful about sharing copies of deeds, IDs, tax bills, or other property documents with people you don’t trust

• Keep your identity protections strong, including credit freezes and strong account security

The FBI recommends that landowners monitor online property records, set up title alerts where possible, set up online search alerts for their property, periodically check the property, ask neighbors to report suspicious activity, and act quickly if bills stop arriving or utility activity unexpectedly changes.

What buyers should watch for

Buyers can also get hurt by these scams. A buyer may think they’re purchasing land or a property from the real owner, only to find out later that the seller was a fraud.

What you can do:

• Work with reputable real estate, legal, and title professionals

• Be cautious with vacant land deals that are unusually cheap or rushed

• Don't let a seller pressure you into skipping normal verification steps

• Be wary if the seller refuses video, in-person, or independently verified identity checks

• Confirm that the title company, attorney, or closing office is legitimate using contact information you find independently

• Be careful with wire instructions, especially if they arrive by email or change during the transaction

• Ask questions when the story doesn't feel right

A good deal should still survive normal due diligence. If the transaction only works because everyone moves quickly and no one asks questions, that’s a red flag.

What to do if you think your property is being targeted

If you discover that your property has been listed, transferred, or used in a suspicious way, act quickly.

What you can do:

• Contact your local Registry of Deeds, county recorder, or land records office

• Ask how to obtain copies of any recorded documents

• Contact a real estate attorney

• Contact local law enforcement

• Contact the real estate agent, title company, or attorney involved in the suspicious transaction if you can identify them

• If you believe your identity was used, report the identity theft through IdentityTheft.gov

• If money was wired or the scam involved online communications, file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center

• Save emails, listings, screenshots, documents, names, phone numbers, and transaction details

Don’t assume it’s just a clerical mistake. If someone's trying to sell or transfer your property without permission, time matters.

Final takeaway

Seller impersonation and title fraud are unsettling because they target something deeply personal: ownership of your property.

The scam doesn't always start with a dramatic phone call or a suspicious email in your inbox. It may start quietly, with a criminal looking through public records, identifying a property that appears unwatched, and pretending to be the owner.

The best defense is early awareness. Monitor your property records. Sign up for free alert services where available. Pay attention to bills and unexpected listings. Be especially careful with vacant land, second homes, inherited property, and properties you do not regularly visit.

You don't need to panic, and you don't need to assume every title-lock advertisement is the answer. But you should know that this scam exists, understand why certain properties are targeted, and take a few practical steps before there's a problem.