'It's all fun and games until somebody loses an eye'. Did your mother ever tell you that when you were a kid? Yeah, I never understood it either - but then I never poked my eye out either so that might be the difference. It really was all fun and games.

But while nobody would accuse the real estate fraud industry of being all fun and games, at least it has been a relatively peaceful genre of crime - which may be one reason it hasn't garnered the attention in deserves from law enforcement. As our own DA told us - it's just not a 'sexy' crime, and not one with readily definable good guys and bad guys. Sometimes the good guys are just really stupid guys or really greedy guys and it's hard to generate much sympathy for them. Sometimes the bad guys are also really stupid guys or start out with an idea to help people and get carried away. 

Until now. As pointed out in today's article from the Sacramento Bee, it would seem the stakes are being raised. While anybody familiar with fraud has heard about the scam artists posing as property owners to rent vacant homes to people and scram with their deposit money, the scam artist in this story has balls. (Well, it's a she but after reading the article you'll agree). Not only does she not pull the scam and split to let others sort it out, she's still in business and proudly posting her sign on the property in question. 

She posted her own sign in front of the property claiming the home has been abandoned. She then apparently rented the million dollar home to someone for a scant $1,500/mo (well at least she's not greedy). Then she posted signs advising other people, especially state and federal employees (i.e. law enforcement) not to trespass because the occupants have the 'inalienable right to self-preservation to repel by force, self-defense and justifiable homicide'. YOWZA!

According to Sacramento police, who are familiar with the agent from past dealings, they are taking the threatening nature of the signs very seriously. According to one officer, 'she doesn't recognize the Constitution, she has a constitution of her own.'

Well heck, I guess if that way of thinking is good enough for some of our politicians, it should be good enough for a little old rental agent in Sacramento. As one of the investigating offivers said - 'this is a wierd deal'. Hey thanks Captain Obvious. 

Keep your eyes open folks - the fun and games are over and the frausters are getting nasty. 

Sacramento police are investigating a possible scam involving the rental of foreclosed homes to unsuspecting victims.

At noon today, detectives were questioning the tenants of a home in an exclusive Natomas area neighborhood where housing values are $1 million and above.

The home on Clubside Lane had been abandoned and bank owned for about two years, neighbors said, but a couple moved in over the weekend.

Read the full article here: http://www.sacbee.com/1089/story/1595909.html

Gene Wunderlich - Selling Southwest California Homes including Temecula, Murrieta & The Southern California Wine Country

Remember, Don't wait to buy real estate - Buy real estate and wait.

' Frauster Claims Inalienable Rights'

THE OPINIONS IN THIS COMMENTARY ARE STRICTLY GENE WUNDERLICH's PERSONAL OPINION. WHILE ANY REASONABLE &/or RATIONAL PERSON SHOULD AGREE, THESE VIEWS MAY NOT REFLECT THOSE OF ACTIVERAIN, SRCAR/GADBLOG OR ANY  LOCAL, STATE OR MENTAL INSTITUTION.