District Attorney warns public about recent increase in fraudulent property listings
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office sent out a warning this week concerning fake listings of vacant lots for sale across the county.
Since September of 2023, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office Real Estate Fraud Unit has looked into several attempts to fraudulently list vacant lots for sale by people other than the legal owner detail the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office in a press release.
According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office, generally in these investigations, a local real estate agent is contacted through real estate listing websites, such as Zillow or Redfin, by a person claiming to be the legal owner of the listed property and insisting on a quick sale.
Fraudsters claim to not be able to physically meet the real estate agent for various reasons while also providing legitimate-appearing but fake identification papers explain the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
If you own vacant land in the area, be sure to keep an eye on your property as some of these cases were only brought to the attention of authorities when owners saw a 'For Sale' sign on their own property reveal the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office suggests simply googling or looking up your property on listing sites and see if an "Active Listing" appears on your property.
If you are looking to purchase property in the area, be aware that some fraudsters will contact potential buyers claiming to be the legitimate owners of vacant lots for sale detail the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office reminds potential buyers that property owners' names are usually public record and available in records through the county's Clerk-Recorder-Assessor's Office.
If you encounter fraudulent sales of property in Santa Barbara County, you are asked to notify the District Attorney's Office Real Estate Fraud Investigator at 805-560-1044 or 805-568-2390.
