>> 2 men are heading to the courtroom this morning charged in what jso investigators are
calling a real estate scam.
Police say o’neal Hyman and Leo
Miller would find for club
those on occupied homes and
then rent them out to people.
The the crime rather was
discovered when the real owners
found out that people were
living in their homes.
Investigators believe more
victims are out there and they
may not even know it.
According to federal data in
2018 alone more than 11,000
people reported real estate or
rental fraud.
That resulted in losses of at
least a million
here with advice to keep you
from falling victim to all this
is David Elliott who’s a
realtor with Keller Williams,
good morning to you and thanks
for being with us this Thank
you all right so first of all
let’s talk about what are the
biggest red flags to go up to
you might be getting scammed
yes, I think I’m the biggest a
red flag would be if you can’t
find information.
>> On that a supposed to
land Lord. You should start
with the simple things like
facebook
and Google see if you can find
information on that person the
second thing you can do it’s
really easy just to go to see o
J
dot net and then see who the
the registered owner of that
property is and then when you
actually go to the point which
you should go with somebody
else by the way because
not everybody is just deceptive
some of them are are you know
can be dangerous so you go in
the appointment and the first
thing you do is
introduce yourself and asked to
see their driver’s license
just make sure that the
driver’s license matches them
and batches the tax records are
saying is actual owner.
>> And then that’s something
you can do online anybody can
do that are in really in any
County yes, absolutely owns the
home absolute what about the
condition of the property if
you actually do get an
opportunity to see the property
any red flags there yes, you
know many times the scammers
are using foreclosed properties
who’s yards. You know the yards
are not going to be kept up
properly. So if you see the
grasses were high the bushes
are trimmed and that kind of
thing.
>> The best thing to do I think
is to maybe asked why that is
but then to really be cautious
about that because something is
wrong in that situation.
>> And then what about the
people who ask for money and
you haven’t even seen the home
yet I would obviously never
ever do that what sometimes
they will do is is uh some
people don’t see
the home. The landlord says
wire the funds into this
account Western Union or bank
account other times the actual
or the supposed to a landlord
will meet them there and then
have
the mes to wire funds into an
account to just check and make
sure those say to just check to
make sure that you actually do
have the funds.
>> And you know there are times
where people are maybe moving
here from another state and
they don’t have the money to
right to have a hotel room and
try to look so they’ve got to
do it online.
What is your recommendation for
people who can’t physically be
here before they rent.
>> You know what I think they
should do is hire a good
realtor they should really just
a realtor.
Specializes in this most likely
full time their experience
with this and know how to avoid
the scams and
how to warn that person of what
to really look out for
and now you’ve got a
professional this really taking
care of the needs are so I
would hire a good realtor.
>> Well when you think about
Realtors you
think about buying property but
Realtors also provide services
that help you rent and I think
a lot of people may not realize
that they they sure don’t
>> they stay should definitely
use a realtor real for us is
going
to specialize in sale and rent
and lease of a any kind of land
or or homes or property like
that.
>> Let’s say someone is
watching right now and they
think a life this
may have happened to me what
kind of recourse do you have.
Yeah it’s a bit.
>> There’s not a lot the first
thing you should do obviously
is call. The police asked them
who to
speak with and and they should
guide Theirs
different commissions that that
are involved with the
prosecution of of
these criminals and and so, but
the police are usually going to
be able to get your start in
the right direction.
>> And we’re talking about this
this morning because they’re to
local people in court in about
an hour who were suspected of
this. But this happens all over
that.
>> It sure does
it happens. The thousands of
times a year it happens in
our country.
>> David alien from Keller
Williams thinks I’m a couple
banker by
the way household well banker
yes, I was like to be a
fantastic. Thank you for missed
any of this information.
>> Coldwell banker just go to
newsfourjax dot com you can