Phony Seminars
This is a big scam that seems legitimate and usually starts with free tickets and a gift for attending, all at no cost to you. Sounds too good to be true, and usually is. The free gift usually turns out to be only for those who purchase tickets to more seminars. They make the additional seminars sound amazing but they usually turn out to be full of useless information. By the time you figure out that you’re not getting much for your money, you’ve spent a lot of it.
“renting” empty houses
This one is just what it sounds like. A con artist looks for homes that will be abandoned for an extended period of time either because the home owner is on extended vacation or is away at work for a while. Once the con artist establishes that the home owner will be away for a while, they list the property to rent as their own, or as if they are an agent for the owner. Sometimes the con artist will even break into the house and change the locks. The con artist will collect rent until the actual home owner returns and finds someone living in their home.
Protect yourself from real estate scams
Just remember, “if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is”. They sound like great deals but if you do a little research you can usually avoid a scam. There are places on line where you can do checking, or if you know a real estate agent ask them. Avoid using cash or wiring money. Once cash is gone it’s almost impossible to get back. If you must, use credit cards, checks, or other forms of payment that can be traced just in case. Most scam artist will move on if you insist on using traceable payment methods.