House & Apartment

If funds have already been sent, look up the public phone numbers of the sending and receiving banks. Do not use numbers provided by others. Once verified:

• Call the sending bank to stop or trace the transfer,
• Call the receiving bank to request a recall, and
• If funds were wired, call the wire transfer company.

For each call, write down the name of the company, the name of the company’s customer service representative, and the time and date. Also, write down what information is shared with the bank or transfer company and what they say.

Work directly with the banks and wire transfer companies to try to stop or trace funds. Do not respond to anyone who contacts the victim to try to fix the situation. Call bank and wire transfer employees back using publicly verified numbers. Scammers sometimes contact fraud The deception of someone(s) with intent to cause damage (not including  forgeries and counterfeiting). victims to offer fake services so that they can gain access to the target’s financial information. These fake services may include pretending to work with law enforcement agencies.

Tell any title company, title insurer, escrow agent, real estate Property consisting of land or buildings like a house or an apartment agent, and lawyer Someone who represents clients in courts or who gives legal advice in the deal. Use public phone numbers and verify email addresses before sending messages to alert people to the fraud The deception of someone(s) with intent to cause damage (not including  forgeries and counterfeiting). .

Do not confront the suspect.

For all types of real estate Property consisting of land or buildings like a house or an apartment fraud The deception of someone(s) with intent to cause damage (not including  forgeries and counterfeiting). , file reports with:

• Local police, and
• The Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

File with other agencies if needed:

• The Federal Trade Commission if personal information was used,
• The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) if emails or websites were involved, and
• The U.S. Postal Inspection Service if fraudulent checks or documents came by mail.

Keep copies of all reports and case numbers. For identity theft issues (misuse of personal information in the fraud), learn more about Dealing with identity theft basics.

Gather all documents, emails, texts, and contracts.

• Take screenshots of texts,
• Save emails as PDFs,
• Download bank records,
• Check with the county recorder for fraudulent documents, and
• Keep copies of wire instructions or checks.

Store these documents for investigators or a lawyer Someone who represents clients in courts or who gives legal advice . Even if the deal is stopped, this information may be important in the future.

A real estate Property consisting of land or buildings like a house or an apartment lawyer Someone who represents clients in courts or who gives legal advice can help file a lawsuit to clear title, recover money, or defend against false claims. You can use Get Legal Help to look for a lawyer. Free or low-cost options may be available.