As long as money has changed hands for real estate, there have been con men ready to take advantage. In the late 1800s, George C Parker "sold" the Brooklyn Bridge (among other landmarks)...several times. In 1925, Charles Ponzi promised outrageous returns in a short amount of time for investors in what turned out to be Florida swampland. Thus, the origin of the "Ponzi scheme" was born. Unfortunately, real estate scams continue today. And the scammers get more and more creative as technology changes. Whether you rent, own, buy or sell a piece of property, beware of these common scams so you do not fall victim to them.

Watch Out for These Real Estate Scams
Renters Beware
You may have heard the saying "if it's too good to be true, it probably is". That seems especially true with rental properties. As rents rise, so do rental scams. If you see ads for a nice property in a great neighborhood priced well below the going rental rate, beware. Or if the "landlord" requests a deposit before . ...