4 Real Estate Scams to Watch for in Oklahoma
Real estate scams used to be easy to spot. There was a misspelled email, a weird phone number, a "deal" that was obviously too good to be true.
Not anymore. Scammers now use AI to write perfect emails, copy real listings, and even clone voices. The good news is that every one of these scams has the same weak point: it falls apart the moment you slow down and verify.
The numbers are real. In 2024 the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center logged 9,359 real estate fraud complaints and about $173.6 million in reported losses (FBI IC3 2024 Internet Crime Report). Those are only the cases people reported.
Here are the four real estate scams we see most, and exactly what to do about each one.
1. Wire fraud at closing
How it works: Scammers watch for a home sale in progress, sometimes by hacking an email account and sometimes just from public listing data. Right before closing, you get an email that looks exactly like it came from your agent, lender or title company. It says the wiring instructions "changed." AI makes these messages look perfect, and some scammers now follow up with a phone call in a voice that sounds familiar.
You wire your down payment to the new account. It's gone, often within hours.
Red flags:
Any email or text that changes wiring instructions, especially at the last minute
Pressure to send money "today" or the closing will be delayed
A sender address that's off by one letter, or a phone number you've never seen
How to protect yourself:
Never follow wiring instructions from an email. The CFPB's advice is simple: call to confirm first.
Call your title company at a number you already have, from your contract or their official website, not one from the email. Confirm the account details out loud.
After you wire, call again to confirm the money arrived.
If you think you've been hit, call your bank immediately and file a report at ic3.gov. Speed matters.
A real agent, lender or title company will never be bothered that you called to double-check.
2. Seller impersonation and deed fraud
How it works: A scammer pretends to be the owner of a property they don't own. Their favorite targets are vacant land, homes with no mortgage, and owners who live out of state. They use fake IDs and forged documents to list the property with an unsuspecting agent, or to record a fake deed. Then they try to take the sale money and vanish.
It's growing. In a study by the American Land Title Association, 28% of title insurance companies reported at least one seller impersonation attempt in 2023. In April 2024 alone, two in 10 saw an attempt (ALTA).
Red flags (for owners):
A "For Sale" sign or online listing on property you own and never listed
Mail from a title company or lender about a sale or loan you didn't start
An unexpected change to your property tax bill or mailing address
How to protect yourself: Sign up for your county clerk's free property fraud alert. It notifies you when a document is recorded in your name or on your property. In our area:
Oklahoma County: the OKCC Property Alert System. The county upgraded the system in 2026 and has asked some longtime subscribers to re-register, so if you signed up years ago, check that you're in the new one.
Tulsa County: RecordRadar, the clerk's recording notification service. Register every variation of your name.
Cleveland County: the "Fraud Notify" program on the County Clerk's page at clevelandcountyok.com.
Canadian County: call the County Clerk's office at (405) 295-6122 to enroll.
Live in another county? Call your county clerk and ask if they offer recording alerts. Many do, for free.
3. Fake rental listings
How it works: Scammers copy photos and descriptions from real listings, sometimes homes that are actually for sale, and post them as rentals on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist at a price that's suspiciously low. The "landlord" can't meet in person. They're out of town, or a missionary, or in the military. But they're happy to hold the house if you send a deposit right now.
Red flags:
Rent well below everything else nearby
The landlord won't show the home in person
Pressure to pay a deposit or application fee before you've seen the inside
Requests for payment by wire transfer, gift card, cryptocurrency, or a payment app
The FTC puts it plainly: if someone asks you to pay with a wire transfer, gift card or crypto, it's a scam.
How to protect yourself:
Search the address online. If it shows up for sale, or under a different rent, walk away.
Check who actually owns the property on the county assessor's website.
Tour the home in person, and never pay a cent until you have.
If you spot one of our listings posted as a rental anywhere, please let us know. That's how these get taken down.
4. Foreclosure "rescue" scams
How it works: Homeowners who are behind on their mortgage start getting letters, calls and ads from "relief specialists" who promise to stop the foreclosure or get the loan modified, for a fee upfront. Some tell you to stop talking to your lender. Some ask you to sign your deed over "temporarily." Either way, you lose money you can't spare, and sometimes the house too.
Red flags:
Any upfront fee for foreclosure help
A guarantee that they can stop the foreclosure
Being told to stop paying or talking to your lender
Being asked to sign over your deed
How to protect yourself:
Know the rule. Companies that offer mortgage relief generally aren't allowed to collect fees up front. They can only charge after they deliver a real offer from your lender that you accept.
Call your mortgage servicer directly. The number is on your statement.
Get free help from a HUD-approved housing counselor at (800) 569-4287 or hud.gov.
And if selling is the right move, you have options that don't involve a stranger with a clipboard. A real home evaluation shows you what your home is actually worth, and our Guaranteed Sale Program gives you a certain outcome on a timeline you can plan around.
The one rule that beats every scam
Every scam on this list counts on you moving fast. So don't.
Stop. Verify with a phone number you already trust. Then act.
Whether you're buying or selling, the Kerr Team has been helping Oklahoma families through real estate deals since 1987. We've seen a lot of these up close.
Not sure if something's legit? Call us before you send a dime: (405) 330-3000. It's a free phone call, and it could save you your down payment.
-
Call or text us at 405-330-3000 (OKC Metro) or 918-999-6000 (Tulsa Metro) with the address of your home. You'll answer a few questions about your home, and an appointment will be set with one of our experts to meet you at your home and get you a Guaranteed Sale Price.
-
Absolutely! Think of the Guaranteed Sale Program as an insurance policy, so you never end up with two mortgage payments.
-
One of our experts will come to look at your home before a price is agreed upon. The price will be agreed upon upfront, and won't change.
