House & Apartment
Worried about doing this on your own? You may be able to get free legal help.
Hire an Illinois-licensed real estate agent or lawyer with recent local property deal experience. Ask them to review the property’s history and the seller’s identity.
Working with a real estate agent or lawyer is not required. However, licensed professionals can often spot potential problems from experience and training.
Ask questions about the property that only the owner would know. Scammers may impersonate people or redirect communications to fake numbers or email addresses.
- Face-to-face: If a seller is not using a licensed professional, ask why. Always verify IDs before funds are transferred.
- Emails: Type addresses yourself. Do not click on links or attachments. Ask for a video call if communication is only by email or text.
- Phone or text: Use publicly listed numbers. Do not trust numbers given by someone else.
Before purchasing, pay for a title search and buy title insurance.
If the title search reveals questions about who owns the property, possibly fraudulent documents, or other clouds on title, pause. Scammers may push for a fast sale even after problems are found. Find out what it costs to solve the issues, and do not transfer funds to finish the purchase until the title is clear.
Fake sellers often push for fast closings. Always confirm wiring instructions in person or by calling a publicly listed number. At closing, make sure everyone shows government IDs.
When warning signs suggest deed fraud, do not confront the suspect. Learn about Dealing with real estate fraud.
Worried about doing this on your own? You may be able to get free legal help.
