Unfortunately, many people live in a world where they are being cheated out of their hard-earned money. If you want to rent or buy a home, you don’t want someone scamming you out of your money. Real estate scams are easy to spot. If you don’t want to be victimized by any mortgage fraud, here are the five most common real estate scams that you should be aware of.

Sham Seminars

The problem with this scam is the fact that it is offering to you for free. This scam promises free seminar tickets, gifts, and no-pressure sales tactics. You only get the “gift” if you purchase additional seminar tickets. It wouldn’t be a problem if the seminar is free, but these seminars are often useless and a waste of time.

Appraisal Fraud

Appraisal fraud occurs when a property is given a higher value than it is. This fraud is often associated with other types of mortgage fraud. It involves manipulating comparable and market values or property characteristics to obtain a better appraisal. To obtain a higher appraisal, the person forges the appraisal document or hires an accomplice.

Rentals of Vacant Houses

Both homeowners and renters fall for this scam. …