09/9/25

An experienced Iowa real estate agent recently spent nearly $1,000 marketing a property, only to discover the seller was a fraud. Fake sellers continue doing their best to list properties that don’t belong to them and collect a cash sale before anyone notices.

Although seller impersonation fraud isn’t receiving as much attention as it did a couple of years ago, it continues to occur throughout the country. That’s why we’re highlighting a first-hand account from an agent named Adam Pretorius. While almost falling for a scam can be embarrassing, Pretorius says he’s sharing his ordeal to push for more awareness, and we’re here to amplify that message. Here are four takeaways from Pretorius’s story.  

These scams are getting more sophisticated. Scammers aren’t just sending vague emails and hoping for the best these days. They do their homework, researching properties, learning about legitimate owners and crafting convincing stories backed up by public records. In Pretorius’ case, he was contacted by a “seller” who claimed to own a vacant lot valued at $200,000. The scammer knew the lot’s listing history and knew what the owner did for work. The story was convincing enough for Pretorius to invest time and money in marketing the property before the actual owner put a stop to it just hours after it was listed (Extra kudos to that observant party. More on that in a second).

Scammers are targeting the same properties more than once. We’ve previously warned our agent friends that these scammers are likely reaching out to multiple local REALTORS®, hoping that at least one of you will take the bait. But this first-hand account shows that fraudsters are relentless. The property at the center of the Iowa story had been fraudulently listed at least twice before – and will probably be targeted again. So it’s up to all of us to be extra careful when dealing with paid-off properties that fit the profile of this scheme.   

Real estate professionals are paying the price. When a fraudulent listing gets through, the costs add up quickly. Pretorius estimated he spent nearly $1,000 marketing the fake property before realizing he’d been scammed. Beyond financial loss, there’s also the frustration of lost time, potential damage to professional credibility, and the unsettling reality of how easily fraud can slip past initial checks. In addition, these fake sellers are increasingly trying to set up fake title companies to take our teams and industry colleagues out of the transaction altogether. Why? A trusted title company serves as a good last line of defense against these kinds of scams.

Vigilance is the only defense. Almost falling for a scam that he thought he knew a lot about led to Pretorius changing his process. He now requires at least three forms of verification when working with sellers he can’t meet face-to-face. He also closely watches for other red flags, including

• Out-of-state owners with little personal connection to the property
• Sellers who avoid video calls or in-person meetings
• Unverifiable phone numbers
• Anyone pressuring for a quick cash-only deal.

Finally, it’s essential to inform the public: If you own one of these frequently targeted properties, consider placing an alert on its address, just in case your land is caught up in this scam.

Seller impersonation fraud can be costly, time-consuming and could happen to anyone, no matter how prepared you feel to thwart it. We’ll leave you with these lasting words from Pretorius that we should all keep in mind.

“It’s human to make mistakes, and it just shows that no level of experience or diligence is going to make any agent or person immune. The vulnerability exists in high-end and vacant land alike,” he says in the article. “It’s easy for myself as a top producer to say, ‘Well, that’s not going to happen to me but that’s complacency at its finest. I made a mistake. Hopefully, others will learn from this, too.” 

Here’s one final reminder. If you ever have doubts that sellers aren’t who they say they are – or any other fraud-related concerns in a transaction – let your trusted closer know. Our teams are here to help you verify, protect and close with confidence.