The Scammer Series

Part One: The International Man of Mystery

*this post is geared towards the realtors in my network but has information that is useful to buyers as well.

I admit it—I got scammed.

It’s embarrassing to say out loud, but it happens. Even to people who consider themselves reasonably intelligent and experienced.

I’m especially annoyed with myself because I didn’t follow my usual “trust but verify” process for due diligence on a new buyer before investing my time.

Fortunately, my losses were minimal: a few hours of research, a trip into the city, and a $6 parking bill. It could have been much worse

At first, I couldn’t even figure out what the end game was. That curiosity led me to dig deeper, uncover the scam, and—surprisingly—discover several other common real estate scams along the way. Two things became clear very quickly:

1. Real estate agents, escrow professionals, buyers, and sellers all need to be aware of the current scams circulating right now.
2. This experience deserved to be shared.

So, welcome to The Scammer Series—a multi-part blog series where I’ll break down real-world real estate scams, how they work, and the red flags to watch for. This first post covers the one that happened to me.

The Fake Buyer: The International Man of Mystery

The Scam Scenario
• The “buyer” presented himself as an overseas tech entrepreneur looking to purchase a $1M+ condo in downtown San Francisco, all cash.
• He explained that because he traveled frequently—and because hotel availability during major conventions was unreliable and where you can find a room is unpredictable during these busy periods—it made more sense to buy a condo rather than stay in hotels.
• Honestly? That sounded plausible. Anyone who knows San Francisco knows how outrageous hotel prices can be during conference season and unsuspecting visitors have ended up booking rooms an hour out of their way when SF books out.
• We communicated over a few weeks via phone and email, and at first glance, everything seemed legitimate.

There are several variations of this scam, but I’ll start with the one I experienced firsthand—mostly because I’m still totally irritated.
I’ll walk through the scenario, highlight the red flags I missed, and explain what I’m reinstating as mandatory due diligence for any new client I don’t know personally.

The Red Flags (That I Shouldn’t Have Ignored)
• The buyer relied on a “friend” to help translate and clarify requests. That friend’s buying criteria didn’t always match what the buyer had told me directly.
• I was traveling and extremely busy, and when the buyer suddenly said he was in town and wanted to meet, I accommodated him—skipping parts of my normal vetting process.
• I know full well that international buyers can introduce additional risk due to banking, legal, and jurisdictional complexity—factors scammers often exploit to prolong transactions.
• And if I’m being completely honest, I probably let my guard down thinking this could be a quick, clean, end-of-year transaction.

The Setup

The buyer messaged that he was in San Francisco, wanted an immediate appointment, and hoped to select a condo before his return flight a couple of days later. Scammers always use a sense of urgency and pressure to rattle the target and knock them off their game.
• We met in the lobby of what he claimed was his hotel—a very high-end luxury hotel in San Francisco, which aligned with his tech-entrepreneur persona.
• I had scheduled multiple condo showings that fit his criteria and planned to use the meeting to refine the list.
• Instead, he was dismissive while reviewing the listings and abruptly said he had another meeting and couldn’t see any properties that day.

That was the biggest red flag.

I rationalized it as a possible cultural or language issue and agreed to move all showings to the following morning. I explained:
• The buyer representation agreement needed to be signed before showings
• Appointments needed to stay on schedule out of respect for other agents
• If he wanted to decide that week, we had a lot of ground to cover

I rearranged my entire schedule, moving showings to the morning and late afternoon while protecting my existing commitment in the middle of the day (hair appointment, lol.)

By late afternoon, I still hadn’t received the signed buyer representation agreement, so I sent a reminder.

The Moment It Fell Apart

The next morning, I received a text:

“9:00 AM is too early. Be here at noon.”

That was it.

I replied that I wouldn’t be available at noon, asked him to confirm the afternoon appointment, and again requested the signed buyer representation agreement. I cancelled the morning showings and decided not to reschedule until I had confirmation, he was legitimate.

“I admit it—I got scammed.

It’s embarrassing to say out loud, but it happens. Even to people who consider themselves reasonably intelligent and experienced.

I’m especially annoyed with myself because I didn’t follow my usual “trust but verify” process for due diligence on a new buyer before investing my time.”

My instincts finally kicked in—and I should have listened to them sooner.

I called the hotel to confirm he was a registered guest.

He wasn’t.

I contacted his “friend” and demanded an explanation. He claimed the hotel had made a mistake.

I requested:
• A copy of the buyer’s passport
• Confirmation of where he was staying
• Proof of funds

I then decided it wasn’t worth another minute of time and cancelled all remaining appointments.

I never heard from them again.

The Aftermath—and the Real Scam

I realized I had dodged a bullet. All things considered, I was lucky to be out only a small amount of time and a $6 parking fee.

I was also relieved that every showing would have included another agent present—so even if the situation had turned truly unsafe, I likely would have been okay.

So, what was the scam?

In this type of scenario, no money ever changes hands with the agent. Instead, the scammer’s goal is to obtain a signed purchase contract. They then take that contract back to their home country and use it as “proof” that they’ve secured an expensive San Francisco property at a favorable price. They shop the deal to local investors, collect money, and ultimately defraud their own compatriots.I also contacted every agent whose listings we had scheduled to view, apologized, explained the situation, and shared the scammer’s name so they could be alert.

Client Vetting Checklist: Best Practices for Working with New Buyers

(Buyers should also vet prospective agents!)

To protect all parties involved—and to respect everyone’s time—I now follow a consistent vetting process with any new buyer I don’t already know personally. This isn’t about distrust; it’s about professionalism, safety, and transparency.

Before scheduling showings or investing significant time:

Buyer Identity & Communication
☐ Full legal name (as it will appear on contracts)
☐ Government-issued photo ID (passport or driver’s license)
☐ Direct contact information (phone and email—not just an intermediary)
☐ Clear explanation of any third-party involvement (translator, advisor, business partner)
Representation & Process
☐ Signed Buyer Representation Agreement before property showings
☐ Clear understanding of local real estate customs and timelines
☐ Confirmation that the buyer—not an intermediary—is the decision-maker
Financial Readiness
☐ Proof of funds or lender pre-approval prior to showings
☐ For international buyers:
☐ Explanation of how funds will be transferred
☐ Confirmation of U.S.-compliant banking and escrow process
☐ Acknowledgment of estimated closing costs, taxes, and timelines
Logistics & Consistency
☐ Consistent buying criteria (price, location, property type)
☐ Reasonable scheduling expectations
☐ Verifiable travel plans or local presence, if applicable
☐ Willingness to respect other agents’ time and scheduled appointments
Red Flags That Trigger a Pause
☐ Reluctance to provide basic documentation
☐ Inconsistent stories or shifting requirements
☐ Pressure for immediate action without paperwork
☐ Requests to bypass standard contracts or procedures
☐ Use of urgency as leverage (“I’m leaving tomorrow,” “This must be done today”)

A final note:
Legitimate buyers understand and respect this process. Scammers rely on urgency, ambiguity, and courtesy to override due diligence. Going forward, I choose process over pressure—every time.