Advise Sellers to watch out for a new scam

I took a listing in Northridge California from a nice lady that has some, albeit them applicable, concerns about safety. With my Law Enforcement background I had informed her that I want everyone to use the lockbox to obtain access, even if the seller is out on the front porch when the prospective buyers come up. This is so I can have a record of who visited, just in case.

I also told her to keep any and all valuables out of sight. I informed her not to let anyone come in that is not with a Realtor that can access the box. And not to let anyone else in while one is showing. When the one that is showing finishes, make sure they place back the key and the agent waiting remove the key with their Access key.

Plus a lot of other stuff.

I get a panicked phone call from my client two days ago. Telling me that she received a hand written letter from a husband and wife (per the return address label). That said that they wanted to buy her home. It then listed a (310) area code (Los Angeles) with a physical address and a please call me note.

There was no disclaimer to "disregard if her home is listed for sale". There was no other information related to this being other than what it appeared to be, some real people that wanted to buy her home.

So I called. It was a call answering center, the lady told me that she needed to get further information from me before she could put me into contact with the couple that mailed me the letter. I gave her my name and my phone number and stopped. I asked who the man and woman that mailed the letter to me were. She said she does not know and is not with them, but she is in a call center. She further commented that they are in investment company but knew nothing else.

I received a call about 1 hour later from a (310) area code from a man that seemed to have a speech impediment while talking he smacked his lips after each sentence. I returned his call and acted like my seller. I told him that I received his letter and that I am ready to have him purchase my home. He wanted to know the address. I told him that he should know it. He said that he sent a few letters in the same neighborhood, due to him and his wife wanting to be in that school district.

I then came clean because he was not. I told him that he was soliciting a home that is already for sale under another broker. I further explained that my seller was very distraught that he obtained her information from the MLS possibly and to please explain. He was taken back a bit and said that there was nothing that could be done, by either myself, my company or my seller and everything that he was doing is quite legal. I asked him how could he make such claims? He told me that if someone does not know how much their home is worth and they can get in for way under market then they have people in place that will make such a purchase. They are the middle men that had this idea.

In this case the prey are probably the elderly I would guess... (which happens to describe my client - Interesting)

Misleading, to say the least. But the thing that work well is on Active Rain to educate each other with what we find out in this industry that is not Kosher. - Connor with HONOR