Nigerian scammers have homed in on Sydney’s coastal eastern suburbs in their latest attempt to sell property they don’t own.
Successfully done twice in Perth, the latest attempt to sell a $1 million apartment has been thwarted before its scheduled auction.
The apartment was listed without the knowledge of the landlord, its South African-dormiciled investor, who has since complained to the fraud police.
The property with beach views was taken down from property websites earlier this week before its upcoming September auction.
The listing agent was not aware that the sale instructions were bogus. The apartment had been rented through the same office, most recently at $550 a week.
The first deceit was an email to the leasing office advising that a recent fire had destroyed all the documents associated with the property, its ownership and rental.
After the estate agency supplied some replacement paperwork, they received instructions to list the property for sale. Contracts were drawn up by Double Bay solicitors and given there was no mortgage the negotiation didn’t require any official approaches to any financial institutions.
After ads to sell the apartment appeared recently online and in print, an eastern suburbs agent, Brad Caldwell-Eyles, who had initially sold the two-bedroom apartment in 2004 for about $675,000 to the South Africa-based investor emailed the expatriate family, wishing them the best for the listing.
The shocked owner had no knowledge of its listing. The hoodwinked listing agent has assisted the police.
A check of email has revealed the originating scamming emails from the African continent.
The Sydney scenario closely followed two Nigerian scams in Perth where sales had been achieved with the absentee owner unaware of the listing and sale of their investment property.
It highlights the necessity of absentee investors with unencumbered titles to be vigilant.
Both the Nigerian scams in Perth processed to sale with the absentee owners unaware of the listing and sale of their investment property.
This article first appeared on Property Observer.
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