How to Avoid Vacant Land Scams in California

Vacant land can be an exceptional long-term investment in California—whether you’re planning a future build, holding for appreciation, or assembling acreage. It is also increasingly targeted by fraudsters. The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) issued a formal advisory warning that bad actors are impersonating vacant-land owners and attempting to sell property they do not own.

This guide is designed for:

• Land buyers who want to avoid wiring funds into a fraudulent transaction
• Land owners who want to reduce exposure to deed/title-related fraud
• Real estate professionals who must verify ownership and identity before accepting any listing—every time

Why vacant land is a prime target

Vacant parcels are often owned by individuals who live out of the area, have held the property for years, or are not actively monitoring activity. The DRE notes targeted properties commonly include parcels owned by absentee owners and situations involving owners who are elderly, deceased, or living far away.

How the vacant land scam usually unfolds

The California Department of Real Estate describes a recurring set of behaviors commonly seen in these schemes, including:

• The imposter identifies a parcel via public records—often appearing free of mortgages or liens
• They pose as the owner and contact a real estate agent to list the property
• They request pricing below market to drive immediate interest
• They ask for no “For Sale” sign
• They prefer a cash buyer, quickly accept an offer, and push a fast closing
• They refuse in-person meetings and often avoid video calls, keeping communication to email/text/phone
• They insist on using their own notary, then transmit falsified documents
• They demand proceeds be wired

The DRE also cautions that these schemes may only be discovered late—sometimes around recording.

Red flags that should trigger a hard pause

Any single item can be legitimate. The risk becomes clearer when several show up together:

• Below-market price paired with urgency (“need it sold immediately”)
• Seller refuses live verification (in-person or video) and communicates only by email/text
• “No sign on the property” request, especially combined with speed
• “Cash only,” rapid close pressure, and resistance to normal escrow/title checks
• Seller insists on “my notary” rather than standard escrow/title controls
• Wire instructions delivered by email or changed at the last minute (a common fraud pattern in real estate transfers)

For Land Buyers: A practical protection checklist

1) Require identity and ownership verification early

Before you spend heavily on due diligence—or move toward releasing contingencies—make sure your team is validating the seller. The DRE encourages licensees to verify identity and ownership using practical methods like ID review, confirming documentation (tax/utility bills), third-party verification if needed, and verifying contact information independently.

Buyer best practice: Ask, “What steps have been taken to confirm the seller is the true owner?” If the answer is vague, slow down.

2) Treat wires as high-risk and high-control (in every transaction)

Real estate wire fraud is commonly driven by Business Email Compromise (BEC)—where criminals spoof or compromise email accounts and attempt to redirect funds. The FBI advises reporting BEC to IC3 and contacting your financial institution immediately if you believe a transfer is at risk.

Non-negotiable rule:

• Call, don’t email to verify wire instructions using a trusted number you already have (not one provided in an email).

3) Be wary of “remote-only” sellers demanding exceptions

Remote sellers can be legitimate—especially with vacant land. The problem is the pattern: remote-only communication plus urgency, price discounting, and attempts to bypass standard escrow/title safeguards. If those combine, your risk profile changes materially.

For Land Owners: How to help protect your title

If you own vacant land—especially if it is free-and-clear or held long-term—take proactive steps now.

1) Sign up for county recording alert programs (where available)

The DRE provides a statewide resource on County Recorder Property Owner Alert Programs, which notify owners about recorded activity tied to their property (availability varies by county). These notifications can help you catch suspicious activity early—when response options are often better.

2) Keep your mailing address and contact trail current

Many property owners are vulnerable simply because notifications go to an old address. Keep your tax-bill mailing address current and maintain a reliable point of contact.

3) Maintain an “ownership verification” file

Keep readily accessible:

• Recent property tax bill(s)
• Your recorded deed reference
• Trust/estate authority documents (if applicable)

This doesn’t prevent fraud by itself, but it makes it easier to respond quickly if something surfaces.

For Real Estate Professionals: Verify ownership and identity—every time

The DRE’s directive is clear: licensees should exercise due diligence to verify the owner of record before accepting a listing, and brokers should implement written policies and training for scenarios where the seller and licensee have never met in person.

A strong “minimum standard” for higher-risk listings (especially vacant land)

In line with the DRE advisory, prudent controls include:

• Require an in-person or live video meeting and review government-issued ID (retain a copy when permissible)
• Request a recent tax bill/utility bill that aligns with the owner name
• Independently verify contact details (do not rely solely on the inbound email thread)
• Send listing documentation to the address of record with signature confirmation to alert legitimate owners
• Treat any “seller’s notary” demand and wire-proceeds insistence as a heightened-risk indicator

Important context: Fraud is not limited to vacant land

While vacant land scams are a specific and growing category, fraud attempts can occur across all aspects of real estate—residential, investment, lease transactions, refinance payoffs, and even routine escrow communications. The same core precautions apply across the board:

• Verify the client and the counterparty (identity, authority, and contact channels) before acting on instructions
• Verify wires by phone using known numbers and assume emailed instructions can be compromised
• Treat urgency, last-minute changes, and “exceptions to process” as risk multipliers

This is why we recommend standardized verification protocols for every transaction—not only land.

If you suspect a scam: what to do immediately

1. Pause the transaction and contact escrow/title using independently sourced numbers.
2. If a wire is pending or has been sent under suspicious circumstances, contact your financial institution immediately and report through IC3.
3. Report suspected fraud to local law enforcement. The DRE advises reporting real estate fraud to local police/sheriff/DA, and if a licensee may be involved, file a complaint with the DRE.

How 35 Oaks approaches land transactions

At 35 Oaks Property Group, we treat vacant land as a distinct risk category that warrants disciplined verification—especially when the seller is remote, pricing feels unusually attractive, or the transaction is being pushed to close quickly. Our role is to protect clients by insisting on identity verification, secure wire protocols, and a clean escrow/title process designed to reduce exposure to impersonation and disbursement fraud.

If you are considering purchasing land—or you own a parcel and want help evaluating risk and best practices—we are happy to provide a practical checklist aligned with your specific county and transaction structure.