Buying / Selling a Property ? Are you getting scammed?

[Ken M.]

A Family who moved into newly-renovated home is stunned to discover they are squatters amid worrying trend

When Haskell raced to the home that he was selling, what he saw left him stunned: a U-Haul was parked in the driveway, the locks had been  changed, and the for-sale sign had suddenly been removed.

Inside, a man and woman together with their two small children looked to have been living comfortably there for at least a week and claimed they had a legal right to be there - despite Haskell owning the property.

According to the couple, they moved in after finding the property through an ad posted on social media offering access to so-called 'last resort' home for a one-time payment of just $7,500 in cash.

According to the official report the case was treated not as a criminal offense, but as a landlord-tenant dispute.

What makes the case especially alarming is the organized nature of the scam.

According to Spotlight on Maryland, several houses across Baltimore County have been fraudulently listed by users promoting 'last resort' homes on social media platforms.

'These are not isolated incidents. They know who [the scammer] is, and I'm not quite sure why an arrest has not been made,' Haskell said.

Haskell claims the woman who showed the property to the couple is actively orchestrating similar scams across the county.

Despite her alleged involvement in multiple cases, she has not been charged.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14796371/Homeowner-...