Home Buying Scams in Palm Beach County: Wire Fraud, Fake Land Sellers and Hijacked Rentals

Home buying scams cost Americans more each year, and Palm Beach County buyers and owners are not immune. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center logged 12,368 real estate fraud complaints in 2025, with reported losses of more than $275 million. Some scams target a buyer's closing funds. Others target owners of vacant land who may not check on their lots for years. This guide covers the four schemes we hear about most and the simple steps that stop them.

Key takeaways

• Never trust wiring instructions sent by email or text. Call the title company at a number you found yourself before you send money.
• Vacant land is the top target for seller impersonation. In an American Land Title Association study, vacant land was the most targeted property type, at 85%.
• Owners can sign up for the Palm Beach County Clerk's free property fraud alert, which emails you when a document is recorded in your name.
• Rental scammers copy real listings and ask for deposits by wire, gift card or crypto. The FTC says that payment demand alone is a sign of a scam.
• If you think you have been targeted, call your bank at once and report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.

How big the home buying scams problem has become

The FBI's yearly reports show a clear rise. Real estate fraud complaints went from 9,359 in 2024 to 12,368 in 2025. Reported losses rose from about $173.6 million to about $275.1 million over the same period. The FBI counts real estate fraud as losses tied to real estate investments, rentals or timeshares. In addition, much of the closing wire fraud shows up under its business email compromise category.

Behind the numbers are real families. In one 2025 case the FBI described, a couple closing on a home got an email that impersonated their attorneys. They wired more than $449,000 to the wrong account before anyone caught it.

Home buying scams at closing: wire fraud

This is the most expensive scam for buyers. It works like this. A criminal gets into an email account, or fakes one that looks almost the same. Then they watch the deal. Right before closing, they send "updated" wiring instructions that look like they came from your agent, lender, attorney or title company. You wire the money, and it lands in the criminal's account.

How to stop it

• Get wiring instructions at the start of the deal, in person or by phone, from a number you looked up yourself.
• Treat any change to wiring instructions as a red flag. Real title companies rarely change them.
• Before you wire, call the title company to confirm the account and routing numbers. Do not use a phone number from the email.
• After you wire, call again to confirm they received it.
• If something goes wrong, call your bank right away and ask it to recall the wire. Then file a report at ic3.gov.

Speed matters. The FBI's Recovery Asset Team works with banks to freeze stolen funds, and acting fast gives it the best chance.

Fake land sellers, a home buying scam aimed at owners

Here the target is the property owner. A scammer pretends to own a vacant lot, lists it for sale below market, and pushes for a quick cash closing. They use a fake ID or a forged notary stamp to sign the deed. When the sale closes, the money goes to them. The real owner may not find out for months.

The American Land Title Association surveyed title companies and found that 28% faced at least one seller impersonation attempt in 2023. Vacant land was the most targeted type of property, at 85%. Vacation homes and rental properties followed at 37% each. A lot with no mortgage is attractive to scammers because there is no lender to notice a payoff.

Red flags title companies watch for

• A cash buyer, which ALTA respondents linked to 88% of attempts.
• A request to sign by mail with an unknown notary (86%).
• No mortgage or lien on the property (84%).
• A "seller" who refuses voice or video calls (83%).

Buyers should notice these signs too. If a land deal looks too cheap and the seller will only text, slow down.

Why western Palm Beach County lot owners should pay attention

Western Palm Beach County has many larger vacant parcels, and owners often live elsewhere. The area includes The Acreage, which is unincorporated, and the Town of Loxahatchee Groves, which incorporated in 2006 as the county's 38th municipality. Out-of-area owners of lots like these are exactly who scammers look for. Our Loxahatchee page has more about the area.

Scam 3: forged deeds and title theft

Deed fraud is a close cousin of seller impersonation. A criminal records a forged deed that "transfers" your property to them. Then they may try to sell it or borrow against it. It can happen to homes too, not just land. Our guide to the difference between a deed and a title explains what each document does.

Sign up for the Clerk's property fraud alert

The Palm Beach County Clerk offers a free Property Fraud Alert. Once you register, it emails you when a document is recorded in the county's Official Records under the name you are monitoring. Register every version of your name you might use, such as with and without a middle initial. If you get an alert you do not recognize, act quickly. Contact the Clerk's office, a real estate attorney and local law enforcement.

Owners in Martin and St. Lucie counties should check their own county clerk's website, since each county runs its own records.

Scam 4: hijacked rental listings

This one hits renters, including buyers who rent while they search. Scammers copy photos and text from a real for-sale or for-rent listing. Then they post it at a low price, claim to be the owner, and ask for a deposit before you see the home. Often they say they are out of the country and cannot show it.

The Federal Trade Commission is direct about this. If anyone insists you pay only by wire transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency, "it's a scam." It also advises you to visit the property in person and confirm ownership through county tax records. For vacation rentals, get a copy of the contract before you send any deposit.

For owners, the risk is a stranger using your home's photos to trick people. If you are listing your home, search the address on rental sites now and then. Report copied listings to the site and to your agent.

Protecting yourself from home buying scams

Most of these schemes rely on speed and trust. So the best defense is to slow down and confirm things on your own.

1. Work with licensed professionals you can verify, and save their phone numbers at the start of the deal.
2. Confirm every wiring instruction by phone using a number you found yourself.
3. Never send a deposit for a home or rental you have not seen in person, or that a verified agent has not shown you.
4. Check ownership through the county Property Appraiser or Clerk before you buy land.
5. Register for the Clerk's fraud alert if you own property in Palm Beach County.
6. Be wary of any deal that is much cheaper than the market.
7. Report fraud fast to your bank, ic3.gov and local police.

What to do if home buying scams reach you

Even careful people get fooled. If you think a scam has reached you, the first hour counts the most. Here is the order we suggest.

If you wired money

Call your bank right away and ask for a wire recall. Tell them it is fraud. Next, call the title company or attorney at a number you trust, so they can alert their own bank. Then file a complaint at ic3.gov with every detail you have, including the account numbers and the emails. Finally, report it to your local police.

If someone filed a deed on your property

Get a copy of the recorded document from the Clerk's Official Records. Then call a Florida real estate attorney, who can explain how to challenge it. Also report it to law enforcement, and keep copies of everything.

If you paid a fake landlord

Contact the payment company or your bank at once. After that, report the listing to the site where you found it and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Warn the real owner or agent too, since they may not know their listing was copied.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common home buying scams?

Closing wire fraud is the costliest. Others include fake sellers of vacant land, forged deeds and copied rental listings that ask for deposits up front.

Will a title company ever email me new wiring instructions?

Treat any email with new or changed instructions as suspect. Call the title company at a number you found yourself before you send any money.

How can I tell if someone filed a deed on my property?

Search the Official Records on your county Clerk's website. In Palm Beach County, you can also sign up for the free Property Fraud Alert to get emails when documents are recorded in your name.

Where do I report home buying scams?

Call your bank first if money moved. Then file a report at ic3.gov, contact local police, and report rental scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Sources

• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 IC3 Annual Report
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2024 IC3 Annual Report
• American Land Title Association, Seller impersonation fraud attempts increase
• Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, Property Fraud Alert
• Alex Gillen, Attorney at Law, Free property fraud alert registration
• Federal Trade Commission, Rental listing scams
• Historical Society of Palm Beach County, Loxahatchee Groves

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. If you think you are the victim of fraud, contact your bank, law enforcement and a Florida real estate attorney right away.

Own a home or lot in Palm Beach County? Know what it is worth and keep an eye on it. Get a free Pure Equity home value report or book a listing consultation. Buying? Work with our buyer team, and we will help you verify every step before money moves.