Custer County Sheriff’s Office warns of land sale scams
(CUSTER COUNTY, Colo.) — According to the Custer County Sheriff’s Office, there has been a surge of fraudulent land sales in Custer County, leading to multiple open criminal cases.
On Tuesday, April 16, the Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page that multiple related scams have occurred in Custer County, and possibly other rural Colorado Counties, in which the unknown scammer pretends to be the owner of vacant land who wants to put it up for sale on a quick turnaround basis.
The scammer exhibits multiple red flags that potential buyers and real estate agents need to watch out for:
Trying to sell the land at a below-market price quickly
Listing the vacant land with no mortgage
Giving reasons why there should be no in-person communication, usually claiming they are out of town, and all communication should be done by text or email
Insisting on a remote, no-contact closing, often using a “local” notary of their choosing, and refusing to accept a notary selected by the title company
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the scammer has presented fraudulent driver’s licenses and papers as identification and has used “spoofed” phone numbers and untraceable email addresses.
The Sheriff’s Office warns people to be vigilant before entering a deal or accepting listings when these red flags are present. If someone believes they have been in contact with a scammer about fraudulent land sales in Custer County, they should call the Sheriff’s Office at (719) 783-2270, and if in any other area of Colorado, reach out to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation at reportwirefraud@state.co.us.
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