The FBI is warning of a new, sophisticated scam on the rise — fraudsters who are selling vacant property out from under the owners. FBI agents say it starts when a real estate agent gets a solicitation from a fake property owner wanting to sell their vacant lot.

“They reach out and say, I want to sell this land. They want a quick close, they have a fake ID ready. They can find open-source info that matches the owner on record. They make fake IDs, they can make fake deeds, fake notary stamps — everything that fuels everyone up and down the chain,” said Joseph Cardosi, a special agent with the FBI Newark division in an interview with NJ Spotlight News.

The COVID-19 pandemic made remote transactions more commonplace and informal, Cardosi said. Realtors got good at virtual closings, and so did thieves. In some cases, deals are done within a matter of weeks while the unsuspecting property owner has no idea their land has been transferred right out from under them.

“Sometimes it’s unfortunately not discovered until after a transaction closes,” said Cardosi. “I had one owner notice a construction crew come up to their adjacent lot and she went up to approach them, and they said we work for the buyer of this property.”

The FBI recommends property owners find ways to keep tabs on their land, even if it’s out of state. They are advised to set up title alerts with the county when possible. And realtors are being advised to avoid remote closings, and to ask for a copy of the buyer’s most recent tax bill or piece of mail.

You can report the scam to FBI Newark at 793-792-3000, to 1-800-CALL-FBI, or online at tips.fbi.gov. You can also report it to www.ic3.gov, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.