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Springfield MA Real Estate Attorney Finds Scams on Active Rain!!!

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Services for Real Estate Pros with Peskin, Courchesne and Allen, P.C.

 

 

Attorney Trap

Well, it finally happened.  Without getting into too much detail, I received a couple of emails last week concerning an out of state client looking for representation in a simultaneous closing for a multi-million dollar property in Springfield, Massachusetts.  It started with an email from a supposed service coordinator who has a profile on AR (She also emailed me through AR). I was then introduced to the client via email.  The "client" was asking for a contract that would allow two deals to take place.  The first would allow my "client to buy a property with the second Buyer's money.  My client would use  the second Buyer's deposit in order to purchase the Million dollar property. . . .   How "creative". Eventually everything would have to go through my Trust Account. . . .  To all of my friends on AR who worked hard for their broker / attorney license to practice, BE CAREFUL! 

 

With these solicitations, use your gut instict.  If it sounds too good to be true, or if it sounds like an email you received from Nigeria, stay the hell away!

Gretchen Faber
The Kentwood Company at Cherry Creek - Denver, CO
LifeStyleDenver

Thanks for the heads up. I haven't seen one just like this, but other scams are certainly prevalant.

Mar 22, 2009 03:05 PM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

I actually had to remove mycell phone number from Active Rain when I started to receive phone calls form guess where?  Nigeria!

Mar 22, 2009 03:10 PM
Beth Kellan
Windermere/Cronin & Caplan Realty Group Inc. - Portland, OR
(Formerly Proctor), Portland, OR

How discouraging!  Thanks for the notice.

Mar 22, 2009 03:12 PM
Vickie McCartney
Maverick Realty - Owensboro, KY
Broker, Real Estate Agent Owensboro KY

Hi Nyles~ Any of these strangley set up deals or questionable deals I  steer clearly away from them..  They are just looking for someone foolish enough to get involved.  Can you believe that people actually get involved in these and are fooled?

Mar 22, 2009 03:12 PM
Debbie Blesi
Exit Realty Executives - Coon Rapids, MN

Thank You for the heads UP!!

Mar 22, 2009 03:21 PM
Nyles Courchesne
Peskin, Courchesne and Allen, P.C. - Springfield, MA
Massachusetts Real Estate Attorney

You are welcome.  I guess the surprising thing was that it came from an active rain participant with a legitimate looking profile.  Perhaps she was being used by the con artist?  Some people who get involved with schemes like this do not even understand that they are illegal. . .

Mar 22, 2009 03:24 PM
Brian Belcher
RE/MAX Executive - Charlotte, NC
Charlotte Realtor

Hey, great post. Thanks for the information about this scam.

Mar 22, 2009 03:33 PM
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Nyles, good post and thanks for the heads up. I guess you can no longer assume everyone on AR is legit.

Mar 23, 2009 01:44 AM
Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089
Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers - Haiku, HI
Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info

I'll be keeping this in mind in the future - thanks.  I get plenty of calls from here, but nothing this shady... usually just marketers of SEO.

Mar 23, 2009 11:11 AM
Paul Begemann
Attorney Paul H. Begemann - Hamden, CT

Thanks for the heads-up - one thing about the net and any service such as AR is that it is very easy to look liegitimate - reminds me of the old Rockford Files show where Jim Rockford had a little machine to make business cards and would whip up a card as an insurance adjustor or whatever, today people just whip up a web site and that makes them legit.

Mar 23, 2009 02:44 PM