Tyler-Area Realtors Say Scam Artist At Work
- 12 years ago
1. Tyle r- A re a Re a lto rs S a y S c a m A rtis t A t Wo rkh ttp ://www.zim b io .c o m /Th e + Tyle r+ G ro u p /artic le s /G b Rh j5A3o B Q /Tyle r+ Are a+ Re a lto rs + S ay+ S c am + Artis t+ Wo rk+ B LO G G E R
2. Tyle r- A re a Re a lto rs S a y S c a m A rtis t A tWo rk Tyle r Re alto rs are warn in g lo c al h o m e b u ye rs ab o u t a wo m an p o s in g as a Re alto r to s c am p e o p le o u t o f th e ir m o n e y. D e b b ie E zze ll, b ro ke r/o wn e r o f Re alE d g e Re al E s tate an d p re s id e n t o f th e G re ate r Tyle r As s o c iatio n o f Re alto rs , s aid a b lac k wo m an ab o u t 25 to 30 ye ars o ld , las t s e e n d rivin g a s ilve r F o rd Tau ru s , alle g e d ly h as b e e n p o s in g as a Re alto r. S h e h as re p o rte d ly take n in fo rm atio n fro m Re alto r we b s ite s an d p lac e d ad ve rtis e m e n ts in o th e r trad e we b s ite s fo r p ro p e rty p o s te d fo r le as e , Ms . E zze ll s aid . Th e wo m an m e e ts with th e c lie n ts an d te lls th e m s h e is an ag e n t with a c o m p an y an d as ks th e m fo r m o n e y to h o ld th e p ro p e rty, Ms . E zze ll s aid , ad d in g th at th e s c am m e r h as e ve n h ad s o m e o f th e vic tim s wire m o n e y to N ig e ria to h o ld a le as e s p ac e .
3. Tyle r- A re a Re a lto rs S a y S c a m A rtis t A tWo rk Ms. Ezzell learned of the scam Wednesday when a Tyler police detective called her about her company, RealEdge Real Estate, being used by the woman to scam a man into wiring $2,000 to Nigeria, she said. Her client’s property and her business name were used and somehow the woman opened the house to show the client, she added. After sending a notice to other local Realtors, Ms. Ezzell heard from three others that claimed the woman had scammed their clients. “True Realtors will always be glad to provide proof of who they are when asked,” Ms. Ezzell said. “When we post properties, we must always identify ourselves and our company as Realtors.” She said they also post their phone numbers, which can be easily accessed online to make sure the number matches the one in the advertisement.
4. Tyle r- A re a Re a lto rs S a y S c a m A rtis t A tWo rk “We as Realtors hate that our profession is being targeted by way of this fraud and are just as frustrated as the public is with having to once again look at everyone with a veil of skepticism,” Ms. Ezzell said. “But we hate even more that innocent people are being taken advantage of and losing large sums of money due to this fraud scheme.” Better Business Bureau President Mechele Agbayani Mills said her office has not received any complaints about the woman but real estate scams are nothing new. “There’s always some kind of real estate scam,” she said, adding that they usually involve lease/rental properties.
2. Tyle r- A re a Re a lto rs S a y S c a m A rtis t A tWo rk Tyle r Re alto rs are warn in g lo c al h o m e b u ye rs ab o u t a wo m an p o s in g as a Re alto r to s c am p e o p le o u t o f th e ir m o n e y. D e b b ie E zze ll, b ro ke r/o wn e r o f Re alE d g e Re al E s tate an d p re s id e n t o f th e G re ate r Tyle r As s o c iatio n o f Re alto rs , s aid a b lac k wo m an ab o u t 25 to 30 ye ars o ld , las t s e e n d rivin g a s ilve r F o rd Tau ru s , alle g e d ly h as b e e n p o s in g as a Re alto r. S h e h as re p o rte d ly take n in fo rm atio n fro m Re alto r we b s ite s an d p lac e d ad ve rtis e m e n ts in o th e r trad e we b s ite s fo r p ro p e rty p o s te d fo r le as e , Ms . E zze ll s aid . Th e wo m an m e e ts with th e c lie n ts an d te lls th e m s h e is an ag e n t with a c o m p an y an d as ks th e m fo r m o n e y to h o ld th e p ro p e rty, Ms . E zze ll s aid , ad d in g th at th e s c am m e r h as e ve n h ad s o m e o f th e vic tim s wire m o n e y to N ig e ria to h o ld a le as e s p ac e .
3. Tyle r- A re a Re a lto rs S a y S c a m A rtis t A tWo rk Ms. Ezzell learned of the scam Wednesday when a Tyler police detective called her about her company, RealEdge Real Estate, being used by the woman to scam a man into wiring $2,000 to Nigeria, she said. Her client’s property and her business name were used and somehow the woman opened the house to show the client, she added. After sending a notice to other local Realtors, Ms. Ezzell heard from three others that claimed the woman had scammed their clients. “True Realtors will always be glad to provide proof of who they are when asked,” Ms. Ezzell said. “When we post properties, we must always identify ourselves and our company as Realtors.” She said they also post their phone numbers, which can be easily accessed online to make sure the number matches the one in the advertisement.
4. Tyle r- A re a Re a lto rs S a y S c a m A rtis t A tWo rk “We as Realtors hate that our profession is being targeted by way of this fraud and are just as frustrated as the public is with having to once again look at everyone with a veil of skepticism,” Ms. Ezzell said. “But we hate even more that innocent people are being taken advantage of and losing large sums of money due to this fraud scheme.” Better Business Bureau President Mechele Agbayani Mills said her office has not received any complaints about the woman but real estate scams are nothing new. “There’s always some kind of real estate scam,” she said, adding that they usually involve lease/rental properties.