Ever deal with fake realtors?

[Quinten]

I read an article today about someone who paid monthly for a house they were living in, and ended up paying the house off. Later she ended up finding out that the person she was paying, wasn't the actual owner of the house and in turn the eviction process has started for her. She ended up paying $15,000 to own the property, but it was stolen from her. Does this thing happen often in the real estate market? 

It does worry me that someone could open one of my properties and try to rent it out to someone. 

[James]

Renters can try to do all kinds of things but that is why things like this would be against the term of the lease. Typically leases will have no subletting be able to take place. Just like on the lease the lessors also tell me exactly who is living in the home. 

There was a trend a couple years ago where people were renting long term rentals then sub letting those out on AirBNB so landlords quickly caught up to this game and started taking action to prevent it from happening. 

If you were doing a rent to own agreement with someone there would be a long contract with all the rules. There were likely flags in the transaction you mention. As always if it seems to good to be true it typically is.  

[Ella]

We had an issue around here a few years ago where there was a group of men who were posing as realtors and gaining access to homes only to gut out pipes and other items. They would show the houses like normal to people interested but would gut the house in between showing. I think there were 5 men working together and they only ever caught 2 of them. I think 3 of them fled the state, one went back to Mexico. 

In terms of personal experience, I thankfully never had this happen. 

[Justin89]

Was it the story below OP? I guess it's a fake landlord scam. 

https://www.blackenterprise.com/woman-who-thought-she-paid-off-her-home-is-now-facing-eviction-after-falling-victim-to-fake-landlord-scam/#:~:text=June Walker%2C a 65-year old woman from Detroit%2C,victim of the “fake landlord” scam all along.

But yeah, sad to see this sort of stuff happen and for those people to be able to get away. I guess Detroit is known to see a lot of this sort of thing. Scary stuff. 

I hope that lady ends up getting the house back somehow. Maybe someone will make a gofundme for her.