FBI: Fake Owners Are Selling Vacant Land They Don’t Own

TL;DR: On June 16, 2026, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) warned that criminals are impersonating owners of vacant land to sell parcels they do not own. They use details from public records and data brokers, build fake IDs and VoIP numbers, and steer sale proceeds to a complicit attorney in another state.

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What happened

In alert I-061626-PSA, the FBI describes a three-step scheme. Criminals first collect a real owner’s personal information from county or state records, data brokers, hacked or phished accounts, or illicit marketplaces, then create fake IDs, email accounts and VoIP phone numbers in that owner’s name.

Posing as the owner, they approach a local real estate agent and a title company to draft a sale contract for a vacant parcel. In at least one case they produced a forged deed. The sale proceeds are then directed to a complicit attorney in another state. The people targeted are the true owners, whose identities are used without their knowledge, and the agents and title companies that may unknowingly help complete the sale.

Why it works

Vacant land is attractive because nobody lives there to notice a sale. Public property records give criminals the owner’s name and mailing address, and a short chain of email, text and VoIP contact is enough to look like a busy, out-of-town seller.

The FBI lists the red flags: a seller who only reaches you by email, text or VoIP and avoids meeting in person, pressure for a fast closing at a below-market price, gaps in basic knowledge such as surveys or tax records, payment to accounts under a different name, and deeds notarized abroad.

Background: our explainers on business email compromise. See also Fake Zoning Permit Invoices: FBI Warns Property Owners and Scammers Are Posing as the FBI’s IC3 to “Recover” Your Money.

What the FBI advises

Ask your county recorder, register of deeds, appraisal district or clerk whether they offer alerts when a document is recorded under your name.
Review your title insurance, including post-policy protections. The FBI notes standard owner’s policies may cover forgery and the legal costs of restoring ownership.
When buying, mail a certified letter to the owner’s address on the tax record to verify who the seller really is.
File a complaint at ic3.gov with the contact details used, the bank account that received the proceeds and anyone else who helped with banking or mortgages.

If you have already sent money

Contact your bank or card issuer immediately and ask to stop or recall the payment, then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and, for internet-enabled crime, to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Our guides on how to report a scam to IC3, how to reverse a wire transfer scam and US bank impersonation scams walk through the steps, and what to do after a scam, wherever you live covers the first 24 hours. Scammers often start with details taken from past leaks, so run our free digital footprint check to see what of yours is already exposed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is being targeted in the vacant land scam?

Owners of vacant land or property parcels, whose identities are used without their knowledge, and real estate agents and title companies that may unknowingly facilitate a fraudulent sale, according to the FBI alert of June 16, 2026.

Where do criminals get an owner’s details?

The FBI says they use public county or state records, data brokers, hacked or phished accounts and illicit marketplaces.

How can an owner find out if someone is trying to sell their land?

Ask your county recorder, register of deeds, appraisal district or clerk’s office whether they offer alerts when a document is recorded under your name.

Where do I report it?

File a complaint at ic3.gov and include the contact information used, the bank account that received the proceeds and details of anyone else involved.

FBI Warns That Criminals Are Posing as Landowners to Sell Vacant Parcels