In an earlier article, I discussed spotting, reporting, and avoiding real estate scams. To expand on this subject, I'd like to share with you a few examples of scam emails I received while selling my home online.

Example 1

Below is an email I received one night around 11pm.

Dear Seller,
I have a client who is interested in buying your property please get back to me with the price if it is stillavailable.
Thanks

SMITH
+347035729921

My initial reaction was that this was awfully late for a real estate agent to be conducting business. Secondly, it is poorly written in that it is two sentences combined into one, and a lack of space between the words "still" and "available". Thirdly, this person has asked me to get back to them with a price, yet is was clearly listed on the advertisement. A few other oddities to note would be the name (Smith is a surname in the United States), and a mysterious number at the end. It is important to pay close attention to what is being said. Put yourself into this person's shoes, and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to be sending night-owl messages on behalf of your customer while asking for a sale price that is right in front of your face. However, I have been wrong about many things before, so I decided to feel things out. If this person is truly an agent, and has a buyer, they should be able to tell me for whom they work for. I crafted the following response:

Hello,
The property is still available. What real estate agency do you work for? I would like to see a copy of the broker agreement you have with your client before proceeding. I'd be happy to pick it up at your office.

My response politely and gently forces the inquirer to do two things: reveal their employer and prove their existence by giving me their location. If the person cannot reveal this information, they are simply not who they claim to be. Around 10pm the following evening , I received this response:

Garron Smith <garronsmith_01@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hello,

Thanks for your mail,meanwhile I believe first to secure the apartment through a deposit before any arrangement is to be made.I am impressed with the property,I should love to call you to discuss with you but am on a field assignment in LONDON and would like to know the followings about your property but i cannot make a distance calls for now but i can recieve fine:-

1. Your bottom price
2. Is the property originally painted
3. Any records available
4. Insurance certificate if any?
5. When did you buy the property
6.The property and the ownership is on whose name?

However,I would like to know your last price (non-negotiable)from that of the net price for onward transaction,if your price is OK

Thank you...
SMITH
+347035729921

This response immediately told me this was the building blocks of a scam. The person had completely ignored my questions. Suddenly, they were no longer an agent, and had become the buyer. Again, they asked for a price, proving they were clearing not paying any attention to the details of the home. They could not contact me via phone, and were clearly not in the United States (though I'm sure the location was not London). The person was allegedly ready to offer a deposit, though they had never laid eyes on the property. The message was again written poorly, and the questions did not make a whole lot of sense. It was obvious that this person was not who they claimed to be, so I ended communications and reported them to Yahoo.com and ForSaleByOwner.com.

I was notified by both Yahoo and ForSaleByOwner that this person's email address had been banned. Regardless, the person attempted to resume contact with me by emailing me from his new email address. Curiously, he was now going by the name "Smith Andrew", had a wife and three children, and was ready to buy my 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 728 square foot condo. Amused as I was, I decided not to respond.

As for the mysterious number at the end of the message, my guess would be that the person uses this number to identify our particular conversation, as he or she likely is contacting multiple people.

Example 2

From: philhodkinson_pmail@myway.com <philhodkinson_pmail@myway.com>

I am Mr Phil Hodkinson currently transferd to your state.I will like to ask if your house is still avaliable for sale.Please i will be gald if you get back to me with a positive response.cos am ready to buy to avoid been homeless.

Please i urge you to get back to me immediately.

Have a wonderful day as i await your response.

Mr Phil Hodkinson

Once again, the person claims to be ready to buy, yet has never seen the home. Bad English, misspellings, and improper word usage. A plea for aid to avoid homelessness (yet he has the money to buy). Phil is trying to play on your need to sell by creating a sense of urgency. No matter how desperate you may be to sell, you must approach these situations with caution and a clear mind.

Methods to Identify a Scam

Scam email messages are usually not unique. Also, scammers often reuse name aliases and create variations. Chances are likely that other people selling their homes have received very similar messages with similar text. Some may be posting these messages on the internet to help prevent others from becoming a victim of the scam (like this blog).

To help identify a scam, try googling the person's email address, name, and particular phrases in the message. Consider this Google search on the phrase "field assignment in LONDON" from our first example, second message. Notice that in the Google search box, I have put the phrase in quotes. This tells Google to search for the exact phrase. Also, notice that I've added the word "scam" outside of the quotes. This tells Google to include pages that have this word, so we can weed out those who are actually writing about their field assignment in London. The search results are quite revealing. I am not the only one to receive the very same message.

If your search reveals nothing, try choosing other phrases in the email that would help to uniquely identify the scam, such as phrases that contain misspellings or poor word choice. You can also try googling the name along with the word "scam". Remember, the scammers will often reuse names and variations, so try swapping the first and last names or removing the first name if your first search reveals nothing.

Both Google search examples include a result for a scam alert from 10realty.com. They have provided more scam email samples and lists of a few email addresses, though these change regularly. I strongly recommend checking this out, as they have some good information there.

Conclusion

It is important to remember that scams will continue to evolve, and in time, the details I have written here may become obsolete. To keep yourself safe, it is important to remember one simple rule: The money in a real estate transaction only flows one way, and that’s into your pocket. If a “buyer” requires you to give them money for any reason whatsoever, end negotiations immediately. If you can remember that rule, you're going to land on your feet.