MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – In an age of rapidly developing technology and ways to view and buy products even scams have become more sophisticated. In the competitive housing market, police say one crime to look out for is property scams.
Michigan State Police Lieutenant Mark Giannunzio explains the general method for these types of crimes.
“The person will be contacted via Facebook, Zillow, messaging service and even emails,” said Giannunzio. “Where they’re asked to put a deposit down on a property and that deposit goes to this person that they think they’re giving the deposit to but really it’s a scam.”
Giannunzio said the MSP’s investigations reveal the majority of these scammers are overseas. In his opinion, their motivation seems pretty clear.
“They want to victimize other people and they get their groups together and they go out their to make money the wrong way,” said Giannunzio. “Instead of getting a real job as they should be, they look for these innocent victims to fund their habits.”
Giannunzio said elderly people are normally targeted the most. However, Real Estate Broker Fran Sevegney said realtors can help potential buyers navigate the housing market safely.
“We are going to be able to be helpful with making sure that the buying process is safe,” said Sevegney. “We also are always offering tips on vetting people and making sure that people aren’t subjected to this predatory stuff.”
Both the police and realtors said if you’re…
