{"id":26309,"date":"2026-09-30T13:56:29","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T13:56:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/?p=26309"},"modified":"2026-09-30T13:56:30","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T13:56:30","slug":"that-empty-lot-could-be-a-scam-what-to-watch-for-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/that-empty-lot-could-be-a-scam-what-to-watch-for-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"That Empty Lot Could Be a Scam: What to Watch for in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That beautiful vacant lot you just found might be a great investment\u2014or it might be a great setup for a scam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2026, fraudsters are getting increasingly creative when it comes to real estate. One growing scheme involves pretending to be the owner of vacant land, hiring a real estate professional to list it and then trying to walk away with the sale proceeds. For buyers, the scary part is that the listing can look completely legitimate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vacant land is particularly attractive to scammers because there may be no house, tenant or neighbor who knows the real owner. Fraudsters can search public records, gather information about an owner and create a convincing fake identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Does the Scam Work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Imagine this: Someone contacts an agent claiming to own a piece of land. They&#8217;re motivated to sell quickly, they&#8217;re willing to accept cash and they don&#8217;t want to meet in person. Maybe they&#8217;re supposedly living out of state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everything sounds plausible\u2014until it isn&#8217;t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The scammer may provide forged documents or identification and push for a remote closing. They may even insist on using a particular notary. With today&#8217;s AI tools, fake identities, spoofed communications and convincing impersonation attempts can be harder to spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the American Land Title Association, about 59% of title insurance firms reported encountering at least one attempted seller-impersonation fraud in 2025, with vacant land among the most frequently targeted property types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Watch for the Red Flags<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A supposed seller deserves extra scrutiny if they:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Want a quick, cash-only sale.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Offer the property below market value.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid meeting face-to-face or by video.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seem unfamiliar with the property.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide inconsistent identification or ownership information.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Insist on choosing the closing professional or notary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Slow Down Before You Sign<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best defense is verification. Real estate professionals should independently confirm ownership and identity and work with a trusted title or closing company. Buyers should remember that a legitimate-looking listing doesn&#8217;t necessarily mean the person offering the property actually owns it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2026, a little extra verification can go a long way. When a land deal seems unusually easy, unusually cheap or unusually rushed, <strong>slow down and make sure the seller is really who they claim to be.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> REALTOR\u00ae Magazine<br \/>\u201cScammers Are Plotting to Sell Vacant Land Fraudulently\u2019\u201d<br \/>National Association of REALTORS\u00ae<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>That beautiful vacant lot you just found might be a great investment\u2014or it might be a great setup for a scam. In 2026, fraudsters are getting increasingly creative when it comes to real estate. One growing scheme involves pretending to be the owner of vacant land, hiring a real estate professional to list it and &hellip; <\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link btn\" href=\"http:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/that-empty-lot-could-be-a-scam-what-to-watch-for-in-2026\/\">Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,8],"tags":[5,32,4,9],"class_list":["post-26309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-real-estate-tips","tag-anthony-didonato","tag-news","tag-real-estate","tag-tips","item-wrap"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>That Empty Lot Could Be a Scam: What to Watch for in 2026 - Real Estate Agent and Sales in PA - Anthony DiDonato Broomall, Media, Delaware County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.anthonydidonato.net\/wordpress\/that-empty-lot-could-be-a-scam-what-to-watch-for-in-2026\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/that-empty-lot-could-be-a-scam-what-to-watch-for-in-2026\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/that-empty-lot-could-be-a-scam-what-to-watch-for-in-2026\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/964792b6994e8cc4cbddc36ad4824908\"},\"headline\":\"That Empty Lot Could Be a Scam: What to Watch for in 2026\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-30T13:56:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-30T13:56:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/that-empty-lot-could-be-a-scam-what-to-watch-for-in-2026\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":399,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/964792b6994e8cc4cbddc36ad4824908\"},\"keywords\":[\"Anthony DiDonato\",\"News\",\"Real Estate\",\"tips\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"Real Estate Tips\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/that-empty-lot-could-be-a-scam-what-to-watch-for-in-2026\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.anthonydidonato.net\\\/wordpress\\\/that-empty-lot-could-be-a-scam-what-to-watch-for-in-2026\\\/\",\"name\":\"That Empty Lot Could Be a Scam: What to Watch for in 2026 - 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Skilled, smart and enthusiastic about his work and his life, Anthony DiDonato has the appealing combination of business sense and people skills gives him an edge in an industry that demands both. Educated at Drexel University with a dual major in accounting and finance and minors in management and psychology Anthony DiDonato offers over 25 years of experience in the real estate industry. He has been a real estate investor since 1985 and a member of H.A.P.C.O. (Landlord Association). He became a licensed Realtor in 1992 and a member of the Local, Pennsylvania and National Associations of Realtors. Anthony DiDonato is also a member of the Computerized Multiple Listings, (MLS) and Internet Marketing Programs. In 1997 Anthony DiDonato became Century 21 All-Elite, Inc. Corporate Secretary. Anthony DiDonato believes in taking his profession to the highest level of quality service. He is known for finding that \u201cperfect\u201d property in Philadelphia, Delaware County, Chester County, Montgomery County and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania for his buyers and helping his sellers prepare their properties so they sell quickly and efficiently. When it comes time to negotiate the terms of a contract, Anthony DiDonato has the knowledge, experience, and professionalism applied to meeting \u2013 or exceeding \u2013 his clients\u2019 expectations. His service to his clients is second to none. His honesty and integrity have been his claim to fame. 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