Every day there is news of real estate fraud in Miami, in fact, foreigners are the main target of scammers. Many emigrants do not master the language, do not know their rights and much less how to claim them, therefore, they have become the easy target of real estate scammers.

If you want to buy, rent, or simply share the house with a friend, keep in mind the most common mistakes that you should avoid so as not to fall into the trap.

  • Don’t pay money to anyone online. Fake advertisements for “shell” companies abound on the Internet. The protagonist of digital theft will try to get an advance, even when the procedures are not finished.
  • Don’t get carried away by emotion. Housing is one of the main needs of a family that decides to settle in Miami and it is precisely around a house where incredible scams are woven. Do not make a hasty decision or get hooked on the first offer proposed.
  • Choosing bad contractors. Make sure that the agents are authentic and reliable, although it may represent an extra cost, avoid the consultation of a lawyer specialized in real estate matters, an evaluator of the state of the property or a real estate credit agent.
  • Do not provide your personal information to just anyone. The request for personal data is one of the most common strategies to commit this type of fraud, someone contacts you for an ad you have published and ask for your personal and banking information with the simple purpose of stealing the money from the bank account.
  • Attentive to real estate title fraud is the classic identity theft in which the fraudster pretends to be an owner, uses false documents and creates a new mortgage leaving the real owner as responsible for the payments.
  • Do not pay in advance. Theft from abroad is an advertisement of some foreign owner who asks for an advance payment and tries to perform the operation remotely.
  • Don’t act under pressure from anyone. This makes you less likely to be taken advantage of.

Due to new technologies, fraudsters are increasingly perfecting their criminal techniques with which to deceive the unwary. Reduce your chances of falling victim to a scammer by keeping these recommendations in mind.