Officials Warn Illinois Residents About New Property Scam

A Sheriff's Department in Illinois is warning residents about a new scam making the rounds throughout the state, and this one is all about land.

New Property Scam in Illinois

I don't know about you, but I am so sick of receiving “your package is delayed” or "toll violation" texts at least once a week. Scammers are always coming up with new ways to fool us, and now they're coming for LAND. Yep. Actual property.

A warning issued by the Carroll County Sheriff's Office says:

Scammers are impersonating property owners and asking real estate agents to list land they don’t actually own. They often claim to be out of state or overseas and may provide fake documents or identification to make the transaction appear legitimate.

Just let that sink in for a minute. Scammers are out here trying to sell land that isn’t theirs like it’s a sofa on Facebook Marketplace.

Tips For Avoiding Property Scams

In a perfect world, real estate agents would spot this scam before it ever reaches our digital world, but what about "for sale by owner" listings? It seems like that is where our biggest threats would be.

READ MORE: Rockford Police Issue Urgent Text Scam Warning

Here are some red flags to look for in any real estate scam, according to Illinois Legal Aid:

• Property is listed well below market value.
• The seller pushes for a quick sale and only communicates via email or text.
• The seller refuses to meet in person.
• The seller cannot answer questions that aren't already public information and suggests unusual payment methods.

I know those red flags should seem obvious, but we can get blinded by an awesome deal.

The Carroll County Sheriff's Department highly recommends verifying ownership through official county property records before ever entering into a land purchase deal. You might end up paying thousands of dollars for air, and that would really suck.