A GROWING THREAT TO PROPERTY OWNERS
Special to East Lee County News
Dear Real Estate Professionals & Property Owners,
We want to bring attention to an increasingly common and concerning issue in Lee County and across Florida: fraudulent individuals posing as property owners to steal land and homes. These scammers are setting up fake email accounts and creating forged identifications to impersonate owners — and it’s happening on a weekly basis.
As real estate professionals, we’re often the first line of defense. By taking simple but critical precautions when responding to lead calls or email inquiries, we can help prevent these fraudulent transactions. Title companies also play a key role, and we believe they should require verified proof of ownership before accepting escrow deposits.
Just looking up a deed is not enough. It only confirms who the owner should be — not that the person you’re speaking to is actually them. By the time a fraudulent deed is filed at the clerk’s office, the damage is already done. We must act sooner.
Our recommendation: require visual proof of ownership from any client looking to list a property. This small step can make a big difference.
Electronic listing agreements can be especially vulnerable to abuse. Be cautious — always verify that you’re speaking with the true property owner.
To illustrate how real this issue is, we want to share a recent experience:
This month, we helped stop a fraudulent listing attempt. A (fake) “client” contacted us to evaluate and list a property. The email address matched the name listed on the county property records and everything looked legitimate at first glance. Darius evaluated the property, provided a listing price, and the (fake) “owner” quickly asked us to send over an electronic listing agreement.
Something seemed very suspicious. Amanda followed up with some extra due diligence, and thankfully, we were able to contact the real property owner. A very kind woman answered and was shocked — she had no intention of selling and had no idea someone was trying to steal her property.
Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated case. It’s happening more and more every day in our industry.
We all need to work together to protect our clients, our businesses, and our reputations. Fraud like this hurts everyone. Let’s stay vigilant, communicate openly, and take proactive steps to prevent these crimes before they reach the closing table.
Thank you for your time and commitment to protecting our industry.
Sincerely,
Darius & Amanda Cochran
RE/MAX River & Ranch
