Facing a fake seller, seller impersonation, title theft crime or attempted crime that you have thwarted?

Kudos on being a crime fighter.

Please alert SCR so we can pressure solutions.

NAR recommends:

Report to local law enforcement asap.

Report SC Law Enforcement Division aka SLED asap.

On the hotline, members report that sometimes local law enforcement officials do not seem motivated to take the report. You may need to be aggressive and go up the chain of command. One suggestion is to ask for the white collar crimes section.

Report to the FBI and Secret Service.

Depending on the value, the FBI and Secret Service and US Attorney’s Office have limited resources and self-describe their enforcement is primarily targeting million-dollar frauds. The seller impersonation fraud totals billions, so please report online at www.ic3.gov and while this may not mean immediate action on your case, the federal agents report using this ic3.gov database of reported seller impersonation crimes over time to build cases and patterns for federal law enforcement and for the State Department to pressure overseas law enforcement to act.

If you are motivated, you can also alert the SC Attorney General’s office, the US Attorney’s Office, and your local/state/federal elected officials to pressure governments to take some actions. I have not heard of a silver bullet government solution. There are deed alerts from ROD on the backend in some areas. I have heard of ideas such as locking the title at ROD, but that sounds difficult.

Because local attorneys duped by the criminals usually record the deed in closing, controlling the recording sounds difficult. The recording intake clerk is usually overworked in large counties where there can be a large document recording stack daily to get work through.

Having not heard of a perfect silver bullet for this crime yet that works better than educated listing agents ferreting out the fake sellers and stopping this crime using Forewarn, trick questions about the property, seeking the red flags, alerting everyone in the transaction including the closing attorneys that the seller is distant and never met, get the seller on the Zoom and phone, talk to the neighbors and owners association involved, look online, contact the true owner with different contact information (e.g., US Mail, tax records, online, Forewarn app from SCR, knowing too good to be true is too good to be true, ask how the seller contacted you, knowing these crimes occur from purchased leads too, intuition based on your experience, being suspicious).

There are sometimes domestic crooks that can be arrested in the USA. Other times, the organized criminals are overseas.

How did you detect the fraud? Forewarn "insta multiple records check" app from SCR? Properly use your member benefit of Forewarn with all consumers in your business and for fair housing reasons, use Forewarn uniformly.

The property owner can perhaps set up Google alerts for their address, post compliant "not for sale" signs on the property, alert trusted neighbors and any owners’ association that they have no intention to sell in the next __ years. Title lock insurance. Lawyer created defenses, recorded in the chain.

SCR information on this years long and on going scam occurring in SC and across the USA and across the globe, according to federal law enforcement and NAR:
LEGAL NEWS
Protect your business, yourself, and your clients from scams by knowing the red flags of seller impersonation fraud!

Absentee owners, low priced deals, text only communications, and rushing to close are all big red flags when it comes to suspicious seller behavior, and could be a SCAM. Protect yourself by knowing all of the red flags along with best practices. If you believe you are a victim of fraud, cease all communication, terminate the listing, and notify all parties. And, be sure to sign up for your SCR member benefit, FOREWARN, for an extra layer of protection.
Read more

The fraud crooks use Ai and computers to make very convincing looking fake identification documents.

LLR SCREC has this guidance letter to educate listing agents on how to perhaps better spot counterfeit identification documents.

https://llr.sc.gov/re/RECPDF/FraudAlert/Fraud%20Techniques%20to%20Combat%20It.pdf


This information is only accurate as of 7/30/25. You must contact SCR for updates and changes to this information after 7/30/25 as laws and regulations may change over time. SCR 803-772-5206 or email info at screaltors.org or email byron at screaltors.org)

This information is not legal advice. This information is intended only to provide general information and may not be relied upon as specific legal guidance. Legal counsel should always be consulted before acting in reliance on this information.