Owners surprised to find their million-dollar home listed on Zillow for $10,200

Kansas City homes are among what sells most in the country, with many going for more than the asking price. So imagine an area couple’s surprise when they discover their $1 million-plus home is for sale on Zillow for a mere $10,200.

Jamey and Lauren Bertram had no plans to move out of their five-bedroom farmhouse when they were alerted by friends to the “for sale by owner” listing on the real estate website showing photos of their home, O Kansas City Star reported on Friday.

“Our house was hacked on Zillow,” Jamey Bertram told the newspaper, saying he spent “the last three days trying to chill this person who took control of my house online. I didn’t get any help from Zillow,” Bertram added. , calling the scenario “a hot mess.”

Bertram’s home was first listed at market value, or about $1.2 million — a tactic that likely helped it get past the site’s fraud detectors. Once online, the listing was edited to drop the price to $10,200, with the fake seller attributing this to a charitable tax break.

“My family and I own many homes in the US,” the ad said. “Once a year, we sell one or a few of our homes to first-time buyers for less than $25,000. This is done to bless a family or individual in need, but also as a tax break for us.”

The list directed interested parties to call “Mandi” at a number with a Las Vegas area code. Upon calling the number, newspaper reporters were instructed to send $200 through an online banking application, which would be followed by a home visit.

“We have people showing up at our house, knocking. They want to come in and see our house,” Bertram said.

Zillow initially requested that Bertram provide proof of ownership of the home, then left him waiting. “I haven’t heard anything since,” he said. “It’s just a complete scam.”

The listing was removed by Zillow on Friday.

Criminals have long preyed on people looking to buy a home, so it’s no surprise to find such schemes cropping up on real estate websites like Zillow. Fake real estate listings are often created with photos and descriptions taken from real posts and often advertise homes being sold at absurdly low prices. After potential bargain hunters contact the scammers, they are asked to send their personal information or payments, usually in the form of a wire transfer.

Scams like the one described by the Missouri newspaper, involving the Bertrams’ home, have occurred in several states, often in areas with seven-figure estates. A Seattle resident in November alerted her local TV station after seeing a listing on Zillow offering a million-dollar home for $10,245, as reported by KIRO 7. Like the Missouri listing, it included instructions to call a Mandi in Las Vegas and wire money — in this case, $245 — to the fake seller’s “mother.”

Oklahoma County Assessor Larry Stein warned in January that scammers were listing expensive homes online for a fraction of their value, several locations News outlets reported. Stein also noted instructions to contact a Mandi and that the fake offers referenced a desire to help first-time homebuyers, calling it “a blessing for us.”

Relentless efforts to trick people into parting with their money prompted Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to issue a consumer warning in March, quoting an online posting on Zillow that listed a Florida home priced at less than 3% of its actual value and requiring a $4,500 deposit to view the home.

“Zillow strives to provide a safe online platform with accurate information, which is why we do everything we can to prevent the posting of inappropriate content and to fully inform users about how to protect themselves online and offline . -mail.

The company also guides people to reach their website for advice on “how to identify and avoid bad actors in the real estate market, including red flags like requests for wire transfers or prices that seem too good to be true.”

According to for According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, more than 9,500 people have fallen victim to real estate fraud in 2023 alone. The agency, which says people desperate for a good deal are especially vulnerable, offers the following tips to avoid falling victim to real estate and rental scams :

• Don’t transfer funds to people you don’t know.
• Don’t invest money in a house you haven’t seen.
• Confirm the owner’s identity by searching public records to find out who owns the property you intend to rent or purchase.
• Do not complete online applications before meeting directly with the property manager.
• Know local rental prices.
• Look for online reviews, references and testimonials from previous residents.
• Be careful if a potential tenant wants to rent a property without being seen.
• Be careful if a potential renter says they are out of town and sends you a cashier’s check.
• Be careful if a potential landlord says they are out of the country and want the rent sent to an offshore account.
• Do not accept overpayment for properties. If you receive a check for more than the specified amount, return it. Do not deposit.