Don't Follow the Signs to Real Estate Fraud

-Contributed by Deputy District Attorney David Lim

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office urges the public to ignore “blind” house-for-sale signs illegally posted throughout the county.

In a public service announcement released Wednesday, District Attorney Jeffrey Rosen and Deputy District Attorney David Lim discuss the dangers of what are known as “blind ads.” In the four-minute video produced by KMVT in Mountain View (view in the video section to the right), the District Attorney and Deputy District Attorney explain why tempted consumers should never reply to the signs.

“These signs are definitely not legal,’’ Lim, a veteran real estate fraud prosecutor, said. “A person who responds to these signs often finds themselves a victim of identity theft, forgery, or fraud.”

In some cases the signs are put up by unscrupulous real estate agents. In other cases they are posted by people out-of-state who are using them as bait for a swindle. Prosecutors have handled cases in which people have paid money to a con artist who doesn’t even own the vacant or abandoned home. The ad could be a ploy to lure the caller to come to a location only to be robbed.

Lim warns that it is never a good idea to buy a home unless you know the name of the agent you are working with, the name of their company, and their California Department of Real Estate license number.

Residents who see these signs around town should:

• Never call the phone number.
• Never go to the website.
• Never give your personal identifying information.
• Never send any money.

The best thing to do is report the sign to the Real Estate Fraud Unit of the District Attorney's Office, prosecutors say. The District Attorney’s Office can open an investigation and try to find out who is putting up these signs. If you think you've been victimized by this, or any other real estate scam, report it to the Real Estate Fraud Unit at 408-808-3754.