"Fake Real Estate Buyers": How to Spot Them and Protect Yourself

Have you ever gotten excited about a potential offer on a property—only to later find out the buyer wasn’t who they claimed to be?

Fake real estate buyers are more common than most people realize, and they don’t just waste your time—they can expose you to fraud and financial loss.

In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what fake real estate buyers look like, the common scams they run, and how homeowners, investors, and real estate agents can protect themselves.

Fake real estate buyers are on the rise. Learn how to spot scams, protect your property, and avoid costly fraud with these 5 essential tips

What Are "Fake Real Estate Buyers"?

When we say "fake real estate buyers," we’re talking about individuals or groups who:

Pose as legitimate buyers with no intention of closing

Use stolen identities or fabricated credentials

Attempt to extract personal data, earnest money deposits, or other sensitive information

Sometimes even orchestrate bigger schemes like wire fraud or seller impersonation scams

These aren’t just harmless time-wasters—they can cause significant legal and financial headaches.

5 Warning Signs You’re Dealing with a Fake Real Estate Buyer

1. They Refuse to Verify Their Identity

Legitimate buyers provide proof of funds, pre-approval letters, or at least verifiable contact details.

Fake real estate buyers often dodge these requests, give vague answers, or provide documents that can’t be confirmed.

2. They’re Overly Eager — With Few Questions

Real buyers want to know about inspections, contingencies, neighborhood details, and paperwork. If someone jumps straight to closing or tries to rush you without due diligence, it’s a red flag.

3. They Ask for Unusual Payment Requests

A fake buyer may flip the script and try to get you, the seller or agent, to pay for something up front—like transfer taxes, inspection costs, or even “processing fees.”

Legitimate transactions don’t work this way.

4. They Communicate Only by Email or Messaging Apps

Watch out for buyers who won’t pick up the phone or meet in person (or over video). This keeps their real identity hidden.

5. They Push for Private Sales Outside Normal Channels

Scammers often try to bypass real estate agents, title companies, and attorneys. They might say, “It’s just simpler if we handle this between us.”

That’s exactly what they want—less oversight.

How Homeowners & Agents Can Protect Against Fake Buyers

Use a trusted agent or broker. Professionals are trained to spot inconsistencies and verify buyers.

Insist on documentation. Always require proof of funds, pre-approvals, and IDs.

Work through licensed title companies and attorneys. Never skip these protective layers.

Watch for MLS listing changes. In many scams, fake buyers set up parallel frauds, sometimes listing or relisting properties without consent. A real estate fraud monitoring service like Leeza.io can help catch these before they escalate.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

Fake real estate buyers aren’t just wasting time. In some cases, they’re part of broader seller impersonation fraud plots—using fake identities to sell homes they don’t own, or to collect earnest money deposits on properties they have no right to list.

Real estate scams are on the rise, with the FBI reporting over $400 million in losses in 2022 alone tied to fraudulent transactions.

Protect What’s Yours

Spotting a fake buyer can save you months of stress and thousands in losses.

With scams getting more sophisticated every day, it pays to stay vigilant.

Want added peace of mind?

Leeza.io monitors MLS listings and real estate platforms to catch fraudulent activity tied to your property—so you’re never blindsided by a scammer pretending to be a buyer (or even you).

Learn more about protecting your property at Leeza.io

Because in today’s market, vigilance isn’t optional—it’s essential.