The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States has issued a warning that Americans who own vacant properties are being targeted by criminals and becoming victims of identity theft scams.
According to a recent alert from the FBI, criminals are forging identifications such as driver’s licenses or U.S. passports, registering Outlook email addresses, and using phone numbers generated through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to impersonate property owners.
These fraudsters are able to obtain personal information of property owners through various means, including “county or state public websites, data trading platforms, stolen account information, phishing schemes, or purchasing from the dark web and hackers.”
The FBI states that scammers posing as property owners contact local real estate agents or title companies to sell properties. In one case, a scammer used a forged deed to deceive the agent into believing the authenticity of a transaction.
Upon completion of a transaction, the scammer requests the sale proceeds to be wired to an out-of-state lawyer, who is also an accomplice in the scheme.
The American Land Title Association disclosed in a statement released in August 2024 that a study revealed 28% of title insurance companies encountered fraudulent incidents of imposters selling homes in 2023.
The study further demonstrates that “fraudulent acts of impersonating sellers are often discovered before the final closing of real estate transactions.” However, unfortunately, some frauds are only discovered after the deal has been finalized.
In such scams, the imposters posing as legitimate sellers typically communicate solely through phone numbers generated via text, email, or the internet, using excuses like illness or personal emergencies to avoid direct contact.
Other red flags in these scams include limited knowledge of the property by the seller, inability to provide proper documentation, and urging for a quick completion of the transaction.
The FBI recommends that individuals purchasing property should first send a registered letter to the address listed on tax records to verify the authenticity of the seller’s identity.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) issued a warning in a statement on October 22, 2025, stating that owners of vacant properties are the most vulnerable targets for real estate fraudsters because these properties are unoccupied and poorly managed.
Approximately sixty percent of real estate experts reported witnessing ownership fraud attempts in the past year, where scammers sought illicit transfers of property ownership or rights. Up to 62% of fraud cases involved vacant properties.
Some state governments are taking actions to combat these fraudulent activities. For instance, in April of this year, a bill signed by the Governor of Arizona requires individuals submitting property transaction documents in person to provide valid identification. According to a document from the state’s House of Representatives, county assessing entities must establish a system to promptly notify property owners when changes occur in ownership or address.
In a statement on February 11, the initiator of the bill, Arizona State Senator Frank Carroll, said: “When criminals can forge documents, submit false statements, and even secretly transfer properties without the owner’s knowledge, it undermines the credibility of the entire system.”
“We are enhancing identity verification, strengthening penalties for offenders, improving notification systems to ensure any property ownership changes undergo proper approval,” he stated.