Property investment can generate significant wealth, but owners are being warned about a disturbing scam that is making vacant investment properties increasingly attractive to criminals.
A Texas man has admitted taking part in a $1.5 million fraud scheme in which criminals allegedly stole property owners’ identities, sold land without authorization and kept the proceeds.
Moshe Levi, 61, of Carrollton, Texas, pleaded guilty on November 4 in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Prosecutors said the sophisticated scheme focused on vacant, mortgage-free properties in Massachusetts, Georgia, Indiana and Tennessee. The alleged fraudsters posed as the rightful owners and arranged sham sales.
The case has renewed concerns about seller impersonation fraud, a growing form of property crime that can leave legitimate homeowners battling to recover land they never agreed to sell.
Court documents allege that Levi and his co-conspirators deliberately identified empty properties owned by people living in other states.
The group allegedly created fake email addresses and online phone accounts using the owners’ personal information, then obtained counterfeit driver’s licenses and passports in their names.
Using the forged documents, the suspects allegedly posed as the property owners and contacted real estate professionals to list the land, negotiate sales and transfer deeds to unsuspecting buyers.
Moshe Levi, 61, of Carrollton, Texas, has admitted his role in a $1.5 million fraud operation in which criminals allegedly stole homeowners’ identities, sold their land without permission and pocketed the proceeds
Armed with the forged identification, the fraudsters posed as the legitimate landowners and approached real estate professionals to arrange listings, negotiate deals and transfer property deeds to unsuspecting buyers
That meant the true owners could have their property sold without warning—and without ever realizing it had been placed on the market.
The alleged perpetrators then routed the sales proceeds through personal and business bank accounts they controlled, using checks and wire transfers to conceal the money’s source.
Prosecutors allege that Levi and others distributed or attempted to distribute roughly $1 million in illicit proceeds beginning around June 2023.
One of the most troubling cases involved Halla Shami Jaraki and her husband, Omar. The couple owned a vacant parcel on Mattison Drive in Concord, Massachusetts, while living in South Carolina.
They had planned to return to Massachusetts eventually or leave the property to one of their sons.
Instead, an alleged impersonator arranged to sell the land in 2024 for about $525,000.
The couple realized something was wrong after receiving correspondence about building permits for the supposedly vacant site. When they contacted local officials, they learned the property had allegedly been sold without their knowledge.
Developers had already begun constructing a house on the land. Work stopped only after the couple secured a court injunction.
One particularly disturbing example involved Halla Shami Jaraki and her husband Omar, who owned a vacant plot on Mattison Drive in Concord, Massachusetts, (pictured) despite living in South Carolina
The couple had hoped to return to Massachusetts one day or eventually pass the land on to one of their sons. Instead, someone allegedly impersonating the owner arranged to sell the property in 2024 for approximately $525,000
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The FBI has warned that deed fraud—also known as title theft or quitclaim deed fraud—is becoming an increasingly serious threat.
The shift toward remote real estate transactions has created more opportunities for impersonation. So-called “title pirates” can exploit deals in which owners and buyers never meet in person.
Recent data indicates that the problem is growing rapidly.
A September 2026 survey by the American Land Title Association found that 59 percent of title companies had encountered at least one attempted seller impersonation fraud in the previous year. That was up from 28 percent in the organization’s 2024 survey.
The survey of 245 title insurance professionals across 40 states, Washington, DC, and the US Virgin Islands also found that 45 percent had seen an attempted fraud during the previous month, compared with 19 percent in 2024.
Vacant land was the most commonly targeted property type. Homes owned by absentee landlords and properties with no outstanding mortgage were also popular targets.
The financial damage can be severe. One in four firms that reported an attempted fraud also said they had paid a claim related to seller impersonation.
Among companies that provided average-loss figures, half reported costs of more than $100,000.
Warning signs include suddenly missing property tax or water bills, unexpected increases in utility charges and unexplained activity involving the property (stock image)
The FBI is advising property owners to monitor their land closely, especially when it is vacant or located far from their primary residence.
Potential warning signs include missed property tax or water bills, sudden spikes in utility costs and unexplained activity at or around the property.
Owners should check online property records regularly, enroll in title-alert services offered by their county clerk when available, and ask neighbors or property managers to report suspicious activity.
Real estate professionals are also being urged to conduct thorough identity checks, contact property owners directly and be especially cautious when an entire transaction takes place remotely.
Anyone who believes they may have been targeted by real estate fraud can file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Levi is due to be sentenced on February 11, 2027. Each of his two conspiracy charges carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors said they will seek a sentence at the lower end of the federal guidelines, along with forfeiture and at least $1.34 million in restitution.
Two other defendants, Kyon James of Middleborough, Massachusetts, and Bradley Beauge of Somerset, New Jersey, have also been charged in connection with the alleged scheme.
Their money laundering conspiracy cases remain pending. A fourth alleged co-conspirator, who is believed to be based in Nigeria, has not been publicly identified.
