Comments on: Real Estate Scam from China. http://michaeldfanning.com/real-estate-scam-from-china/ michaelfanning Sat, 19 May 2012 19:34:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Karen http://michaeldfanning.com/real-estate-scam-from-china/#comment-262 Karen Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:35:45 +0000 http://michaeldfanning.com/?p=138#comment-262 here in Washington state it happened to us. here is his email yuli4872@gmail.com ; Please understand that I would not be comfortable settling the required up-front deposit directly to a third party Hence I want an attorney to be intermediary to oversee the escrow before I arrive with my wife next month. I hope you understand my plights, kindly get back to me with contacts of a good attorney so we can move forward in accord. As I have said before, the home will be a cash buy and I and my wife will fly to USA for viewing the property but before that I would like my stock broker in America to send the money to your firm via a lawyer/solicitor. I want to make the funds available in USA before coming to view the property, please I would want you to retain a lawyer for me so that my stock broker can send the funds directly to him to keep in a trust account until I arrive in USAwith my wife. Please let me know the lawyer retaining fees and charges so that my stock broker can include all in the payment he would be sending to the lawyer. Kindly get back to me with a candid response as I plan to be in USA soon. here in Washington state it happened to us. here is his email

yuli4872@gmail.com ;

Please understand that I would not be comfortable settling the required up-front deposit directly to a third party Hence I want an attorney to be intermediary to oversee the escrow before I arrive with my wife next month.
I hope you understand my plights, kindly get back to me with contacts of a good attorney so we can move forward in accord.

As I have said before, the home will be a cash buy and I and my wife will fly to USA for viewing the property but before that I would like my stock broker in America to send the money to your firm via a lawyer/solicitor.
I want to make the funds available in USA before coming to view the property, please I would want you to retain a lawyer for me so that my stock broker can send the funds directly to him to keep in a trust account until I arrive in USAwith my wife.
Please let me know the lawyer retaining fees and charges so that my stock broker can include all in the payment he would be sending to the lawyer.
Kindly get back to me with a candid response as I plan to be in USA soon.

]]> By: David Graff http://michaeldfanning.com/real-estate-scam-from-china/#comment-249 David Graff Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:36:18 +0000 http://michaeldfanning.com/?p=138#comment-249 I am not a realtor, but I thought you'd be interested to know how "popular" this kind of scam is now (that is, how clueless and indiscriminate the scammers have become in their search for victims). My employer uses some organizational email addresses that have been "harvested" onto spammer lists for years, and I get some of the resulting email (despite cutting-edge spam detection software). Seeing a "Dear Realtor" message from "Doctor Aman Coonar" (who has a Hong Kong email address, lives in the UK and is looking for a $250-450K property "in my area") was an amusing diversion for me... (I work in the linguistics department at an ivy-league university; not a good place to ask about real estate listings.) I am not a realtor, but I thought you’d be interested to know how “popular” this kind of scam is now (that is, how clueless and indiscriminate the scammers have become in their search for victims). My employer uses some organizational email addresses that have been “harvested” onto spammer lists for years, and I get some of the resulting email (despite cutting-edge spam detection software). Seeing a “Dear Realtor” message from “Doctor Aman Coonar” (who has a Hong Kong email address, lives in the UK and is looking for a $250-450K property “in my area”) was an amusing diversion for me… (I work in the linguistics department at an ivy-league university; not a good place to ask about real estate listings.)

]]> By: Glenda http://michaeldfanning.com/real-estate-scam-from-china/#comment-241 Glenda Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:37:38 +0000 http://michaeldfanning.com/?p=138#comment-241 If the check is deposited and he backs out of his deal and you send him his deposit back. Yes, your bank will hold you responsible for those funds. I required a EFT and he still sent me a check. We did deposit it, and still haven't heard if it has cleared. Really don't expect it to. If the check is deposited and he backs out of his deal and you send him his deposit back. Yes, your bank will hold you responsible for those funds. I required a EFT and he still sent me a check. We did deposit it, and still haven’t heard if it has cleared. Really don’t expect it to.

]]> By: Daphne http://michaeldfanning.com/real-estate-scam-from-china/#comment-236 Daphne Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:58:13 +0000 http://michaeldfanning.com/?p=138#comment-236 Neo Yu has made the rounds at our office as well. Same MO as all above. My one question is this. If the fake/bad $15K escrow check is deposited, is the account holder responsible to make that right, or does a hold prevent that? Neo Yu has made the rounds at our office as well. Same MO as all above. My one question is this. If the fake/bad $15K escrow check is deposited, is the account holder responsible to make that right, or does a hold prevent that?

]]> By: Sharon Greene http://michaeldfanning.com/real-estate-scam-from-china/#comment-232 Sharon Greene Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:04:23 +0000 http://michaeldfanning.com/?p=138#comment-232 I'm so glad I found your posting. I have been contacted by an individual from China who wants to buy one of my listings. He will pay a $15000 deposit, has sent a copy of his Bank of China bank statement showing a $1.2M balance and the account number is blacked out. We were very suspicious but also didn't want to blow him off in the slim chance he was for real. Thank you! Bye-bye China guy. I’m so glad I found your posting. I have been contacted by an individual from China who wants to buy one of my listings. He will pay a $15000 deposit, has sent a copy of his Bank of China bank statement showing a $1.2M balance and the account number is blacked out. We were very suspicious but also didn’t want to blow him off in the slim chance he was for real. Thank you! Bye-bye China guy.

]]> By: Glenda Kane http://michaeldfanning.com/real-estate-scam-from-china/#comment-228 Glenda Kane Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:19:41 +0000 http://michaeldfanning.com/?p=138#comment-228 Thanks this is very helpful. I received a very similar email almost exactly the same. Neo Yu is his name. Have a copy of this bank statement with the number blacked out and wants to send $15000 on a $875000 home. Will be here end of next month. Will be interested in seeing what happens next. Thanks this is very helpful. I received a very similar email almost exactly the same. Neo Yu is his name. Have a copy of this bank statement with the number blacked out and wants to send $15000 on a $875000 home. Will be here end of next month. Will be interested in seeing what happens next.

]]> By: Deana O'Neal Realty http://michaeldfanning.com/real-estate-scam-from-china/#comment-217 Deana O'Neal Realty Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:06:00 +0000 http://michaeldfanning.com/?p=138#comment-217 Same thing here, I have a realty company in Arlington, Ky. Kept getting back and forth emails from this guy and of course on the most expensive piece of property I have listed. Glad this is on here to help realtors and their clients. Same thing here, I have a realty company in Arlington, Ky. Kept getting back and forth emails from this guy and of course on the most expensive piece of property I have listed. Glad this is on here to help realtors and their clients.

]]> By: Michael Fanning http://michaeldfanning.com/real-estate-scam-from-china/#comment-210 Michael Fanning Fri, 09 Sep 2011 07:14:08 +0000 http://michaeldfanning.com/?p=138#comment-210 Hi Susan you are welcome. These scams can seem very real but once you begin to look closer you began to see something is just not right. I'm glad I could help. Hi Susan you are welcome. These scams can seem very real but once you begin to look closer you began to see something is just not right. I’m glad I could help.

]]> By: Susan Baldwin http://michaeldfanning.com/real-estate-scam-from-china/#comment-209 Susan Baldwin Tue, 06 Sep 2011 20:13:21 +0000 http://michaeldfanning.com/?p=138#comment-209 I have just received an offer to purchase a home listed for $900,000 in our market. Same ammo here --- the client wants to send a check for $15,000 as a deposit, paying cash and he also sends along a bank statement with his account number blacked out. Looks like we have the same guy trying to do business with us. Thanks so much for your posting --- Realtors Beware!!! I have just received an offer to purchase a home listed for $900,000 in our market. Same ammo here — the client wants to send a check for $15,000 as a deposit, paying cash and he also sends along a bank statement with his account number blacked out. Looks like we have the same guy trying to do business with us. Thanks so much for your posting — Realtors Beware!!!

]]> By: Michael Fanning http://michaeldfanning.com/real-estate-scam-from-china/#comment-207 Michael Fanning Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:21:25 +0000 http://michaeldfanning.com/?p=138#comment-207 Hi Kim, Wow it's great that you were onto this and caught it. Hi Kim, Wow it’s great that you were onto this and caught it.

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