Many people have heard of the
"419" scams. The term "419" comes from the Nigerian penal
code section of that designation that deals with fraud. Despite a widespread
belief that the people who get taken by these scams are greedy and stupid, many
are not so. Many believe they are donating to distressed individuals and/or
charities. These scams have spread into Kenyan Rreal Estate as well, targeting
house sellers and real estate agents.
The scam usually opens with a bait letter,
assuring the recipient that the person contacting them is a) a widow whose
husband left her millions that she cannot safely access due to her evil family,
b) a high-ranking military official seeking to move money out of the control of
their oppressive governmental regime, c) a representative of a mysterious
person high up in the government, or d) a person interested in an item that the
person is selling or representing.
If the target responds to the letter, the
scammer usually replies with thanks and asks for personal information. Often this
includes a bank account number, but this is not, as some people think, how the
target is scammed. It is used as a gauge to determine if the target is likely
to give money in order to pay "processing fees" or other mysterious
charges. Scammers will also provide scans of documents that look legitimate.
Many can be - stolen from other people or digitally altered. If called on
discrepancies, the scammer will blame poor computer equipment.
In nearly all these scams, urgency and
confidentiality are emphasized. The scammer doesn't want their victim to seek
outside aid or take time to think things over. They are depending on the
"get it now or you never will!" feeling to encourage the victim to
send the money - usually through Western Union or some other money wire
transfer company. Once the money is picked up, the person who sent it has no
way to get it back.
An example of a real estate related
scam:
You get an unsolicited email from someone
claiming to be interested in your house. They will send you a large check, many
thousands of dollars over the amount you are asking for the property. They then
want you to refund the extra money. Or they say that there are "fees"
that the seller must pay in their country. In any case, you have to send the
money now, Now, NOW because the person interested in your house needs the money
to a) come to America b) pay for their cancer operation or c) take their sick
mother to the hospital. Sometimes, if you balk at sending a complete stranger
thousands of dollars, they may threaten you with "legal action" or
embroider the sob story to the point where their sick mother is suffering from
cancer, AIDS, measles and ingrown toenails all at the same time.
Real estate transactions are only one of
the targets of scammers. The scammer is not interested in your house; s/he only
is interested in the money you can send to finance whatever spurious fees are
claimed to be involved with the transaction. Don't send anyone any money or
cash checks that are sent to you from an unverified institution or individual.
Consult with a real estate professional for advice on how to handle offers via
the Internet. Since many people use the Internet to inquire about houses,
prices, etc., an email query may be legitimate. Just make sure that the person
is legitimate before pursuing a financial transaction.
Get more properties for
sale in Kenya on www.kenyan-real-estate.com
No comments:
Post a Comment