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Squatters, Fake Property Owners and Real Estate Fraud — Know How to Protect Yourself

REAL ESTATE NEWS (Los Angeles, CA) — A pandemic of scams has been getting worse over the last several years, with more uninvited guests and fake property owners than ever. Before you give someone thousands of dollars, or your personal information, know who they are, and know who the legal owner is. Request a free property report copy with title and owner information — before renting or buying a property! Property owners: Always obtain a credit report on your applicants!

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Real estate is a valuable asset that can provide a significant return on investment, but it’s not without its risks. Fraudulent activities like squatting, fake property ownership, and real estate scams can cause financial losses, legal issues, and emotional distress. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at these types of fraud and what you can do to protect yourself. | VIDEO 2

What is Squatting?

Squatting is the act of occupying a property without the owner’s permission. Squatters can move into a vacant home, apartment, or commercial building and claim it as their own. They may change the locks, make alterations to the property, and even provide fake documents to support their claim of ownership.

Squatting is illegal, and property owners can take legal action to remove the squatters. However, this process can be time-consuming, costly, and emotionally draining. In some cases, it may take months or even years to get the squatters out, and during that time, the property may suffer damage or become the target of criminal activity.

How to Protect Yourself from Squatting

To protect yourself from squatting, it’s important to be proactive. Here are some steps you can take:

  1. Secure your property: Make sure all doors and windows are locked, and install security cameras if possible. This will make it more difficult for squatters to enter the property.
  2. Keep an eye on your property: Regularly visit your property and check for signs of squatting, such as changed locks or alterations to the property.
  3. Notify the police: If you suspect someone is squatting on your property, notify the police immediately. They can help you determine if the situation is a case of squatting and take appropriate action.
  4. Take legal action: If you have evidence that someone is squatting on your property, you can take legal action to have them removed. Hire an attorney who specializes in real estate law to help you navigate the process.

What is Fake Property Ownership?

Fake property ownership occurs when someone fraudulently claims to be the owner of a property and sells it to an unsuspecting buyer. This type of fraud is often committed by individuals who forge ownership documents, create fake identities, or use stolen identities to claim ownership.

The consequences of fake property ownership can be severe. The buyer may lose their investment, and the property may end up in a legal dispute, making it difficult to sell in the future.

How to Protect Yourself from Fake Property Ownership

To protect yourself from fake property ownership, it’s important to be vigilant and do your due diligence before making a real estate purchase. Here are some steps you can take:

  1. Verify ownership: Before making a purchase, verify the seller’s identity and ownership of the property. You can do this by checking public records, such as the property deed, or hiring a title company to conduct a title search.
  2. Hire a real estate agent: A real estate agent can help you navigate the real estate process and ensure that you are making a sound investment.
  3. Get a home inspection: Hire a professional inspector to assess the condition of the property and ensure that there are no hidden issues or problems.
  4. Review all documents carefully: Make sure to review all of the purchase documents, including the contract, title report, and any other disclosures, carefully before signing.

What is Real Estate Fraud?

Real estate fraud is a broad term that encompasses many different types of fraudulent activities, including mortgage fraud, title

fraud, and investment scams. Real estate fraud can be committed by individuals, companies, or organized criminal groups, and it often involves the manipulation or falsification of documents, misrepresentation of facts, or the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

One common form of real estate fraud is mortgage fraud, which occurs when someone provides false information to secure a mortgage loan. This can be done by inflating the value of the property, misrepresenting employment or income, or using fake documents.

Title fraud involves the manipulation of a property’s title, such as by forging signatures, falsifying ownership records, or altering the chain of title. This type of fraud can result in the loss of ownership rights, legal disputes, and financial losses.

Investment scams, on the other hand, involve enticing individuals to invest in real estate projects with false promises of high returns. In some cases, these scams may involve fake properties or nonexistent developments.

How to Protect Yourself from Real Estate Fraud

To protect yourself from real estate fraud, it’s important to be aware of the different types of fraud and to be cautious when making real estate investments. Here are some steps you can take:

  1. Do your research: Before making a real estate investment, do your research and thoroughly vet the company or individual involved. Check their background and reputation, and make sure they have a track record of successful real estate investments.
  2. Seek professional advice: In addition to a real estate agent, hire a real estate attorney and a financial advisor to help navigate the real estate process and ensure that you are making a sound investment.
  3. Verify all information: Before making a real estate investment, verify all of the information provided, including the property’s value, ownership, and location.
  4. Be wary of unsolicited offers: Be cautious of unsolicited offers to invest in real estate projects, especially if they promise high returns with low risk.
  5. Home buyers should always call the escrow company before bank wiring funds. Verify the bank wire information to ensure that the funds go to the right place.

In conclusion, squatting, fake property ownership, and real estate fraud are serious threats to real estate investors. By being vigilant and taking the necessary precautions, you can protect yourself from these types of fraud and ensure that your real estate investments are secure. If you suspect that you have been the victim of real estate fraud, it’s important to seek legal and financial advice as soon as possible to minimize your losses and protect your rights.

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Top Los Angeles Con-Artist Drew Donovan Reported Dead

Nothing in his life became him like the leaving it. — Shakespeare, Macbeth Act 1, Scene 4, 1-8

REAL ESTATE NEWS (Los Angeles, CA) — While we care and feel for all people who die, Donovan deserves a special kind of memorial — a eulogy that respects the financial hardship and losses of his countless victims. He deserves an obituary that pays proper regard to his well-honed craft of deception, his life-long dedication to fraud and his relentless pursuit of prey. Above all, Donovan’s death requires celebration of the fact that future victims will be spared from the loss of thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars each. We can be happy that not one more senior or disabled adult will lose their life savings from this charlatan. We can rejoice that not one more mother will be intimidated, frightened, even kidnapped by this predator. We can be relieved that not one more young man will be drugged, potentially raped by this addicted Ambien sex aficionado. We have received word from a credible source that Drew Christian Donovan was reportedly pronounced dead of natural causes, as Ventura County authorities search for next of kin. The professional fraudster was 53. | COMMENT

Drew Christian Donovan AKA Christian Andrews AKA Jimmy Wayne Jackson was a convicted felon who claimed to be a wealthy man with cancer, so that he could take advantage of the feelings and sentiments of potential victims by offering to give them millions of dollars in exchange for their help. He skillfully used technology to scam hundreds of innocents by convincing his marks that he was legit, printing fake checks, sending fake texts and phony audio messages from fake banks and other fanciful financial institutions. He tricked banks, real estate agents and hotels into lending an aura of legitimacy to his elaborate schemes, causing additional millions in losses. He was caught and jailed several times, but never gave up on his corrupt career.

Filled with criminal evidence, photos of victims, emails and stolen identities, Donovan’s laptop computer was luckily recovered by one of his victims several years ago — but LAPD refused to accept any of the evidence, refused to investigate. The L.A. Loft Blog received some of that evidence, which we have put to good use. We published a vast series of articles to warn the public. More than a dozen victims saw the posts, and many chipped in to help alert the public, and to put Donovan behind bars. We were successful at getting him locked up for about a year. Fortunately, some cities and police were willing and able to investigate, prosecute and lock up Donovan for short periods of time, including the good, hard-working police of South San Francisco, San Diego, as did his hometown cops in Michigan many years ago.

As humans, we must be thoughtful and considerate of Drew’s own struggles as a fellow person. While he could never share his own feelings without the taint of manipulation, he certainly must have felt the impulsive need for survival. One friend/victim saw Drew cry once — at the death of his sister. Maybe he did have a soul. Yet, like many career fraudsters, Donovan likely obtained pleasure and elation every time that he gained the upper hand and pulled one over on his victims. However, he must have felt pain and depression when he was short on money, sex and drugs. Even the most inhumane sociopath cannot survive for 55 years without these up and down feelings. And, after all, he did not really grow up rich. He grew up in a trailer park, likely with parents who were drowning in problems of their own, likely short on love. A life tainted by addiction and drug abuse likely contributed to his afflictions and early demise.

If he were an honest fellow, he could have helped so many. Using his talents and skills ethically, he could have made millions as an actor or salesman. He could have enriched himself, and still given back millions, perhaps billions if he were simply able to be good, decent and virtuous instead of taking the actions of the rotten and the evil. The thought of actually helping others must have occurred to him time and time again. It was part of his script. Perhaps he thought that he was only acting. Perhaps he thought that none of this is real. Could he have been right?

The world is better off without Drew Donovan. Several of his victims expressed continuing fear of repeated intimidation, and those who spoke up feared reprisal. We at the L.A. Loft Blog care primarily about the victims. We care about fairness, justice and salvation. We never heard of Donovan apologizing to victims, except at times when he sought to re-victimize them. We can only hope that, while things were quiet over the last several months, Drew has had time to reflect and contemplate his life, to repent, to make some kind of amends, and to ask God or the universe for forgiveness. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his many victims, and on the off-chance that it might help, we pray for his soul. | COMMENT

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L.A. can take a sigh of relief, perhaps even a moment of gratitude that one predator is gone.

Copyright © This free information provided courtesy L.A. Loft Blog with information provided by Corey Chambers, Realty Source Inc, DRE 01889449. We are not associated with the seller, homeowner’s association or developer. For more information, contact 213-880-9910 or visit LALoftBlog.com Licensed in California. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Properties subject to prior sale or rental. This is not a solicitation if buyer or seller is already under contract with another broker. | COMMENT