I love the internet. It’s wonderful to be so easily connected to people everywhere. We are just a click away from housewives in Denmark, bankers in London and terrorists in Nigeria. We truly have access to a global marketplace.

Coronavirus restrictions gave me time to become internet savvy. Well, sort of savvy. Definitely more savvy than I was when I almost fell for these crazy scams.

Real estate scam

I was planning to move back to Florida to be close to my kids and grandkids. I looked online for a house to rent and found one. It was my dream house—small but stylish. It was on the bay, in a good neighborhood, and the price was so right.

I communicated for months online with the owners—a missionary couple in Africa. I even had a friend in Florida visit the address to make sure the outside was as it appeared in the photos. I was in love.

I was ready to move forward until the owners told me to send a deposit via Western Union to an African address (a red flag!). Fortunately, I was stopped in time by family and friends. In fact, one of my friends found the real owners, who had rented out the house six months earlier at twice the price. They had advertised it on the internet, which is how the scammers got the photos! 

I was so happy and so excited and then so disappointed. When I shared the email correspondence with my son, he asked, “How could you have believed a word of this?” 

“Well, I was suspicious when they said a cousin was going to use the house for a few weeks because they had told me that it was unfurnished,” I replied.

I was lucky that I learned my lesson without emptying my bank account. Others aren’t so fortunate.

Here are 5 common real estate scams, and how to avoid them.

Check scams

After that experience, I learned that I’m the only person I can trust. Here’s another scam I didn’t fall for, but one that was equally scary. 

I was looking through old emails for a poem and I came across an email with the subject, “Why the Big Silent?” 

In English, we say, “Why haven’t I heard from you?” I thought to myself, “the big silent”? Who talks like that? 

I’ll tell you who—the same people who sent me a $2,000 check priority mail for a $200 copper coffee set I had posted for sale on the internet. 

From the beginning, I thought the buyer was a little odd because each time I sent an email, I received a response instantly—like someone was at the computer 24/7. 

Imagine my surprise when I opened the envelope and saw my generous tip. The told me to deposit the check and send them $500.

“Why are they sending me so much money?” I thought. 

With trembling hands, I tore up the check and never answered emails asking awkwardly phrased questions again. 

Recognize the red flags of internet scams.

Help prevent scams

The best way to prevent others from falling victim to scams is to spread the word! Share your stories with us: 
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