An 82-year-old woman’s house was listed for sale on Zillow in Clayton — even though her home was not on the market
REFUGEES, A BIG PUSH FOR THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, BACK TO YOU. >>> MARK, THANK YOU. >>> OKAY, THIS NEXT STORY, HER HOME WAS NOT FOR SALE, SO WHY WAS IT LISTED THAT WAY ONLINE? 5 ON YOUR SIDE MONICA LIBERTY SHOWS US HOW THE HIJACK LISTING COULD HAPPEN TO ANY OF US. >> IMAGINE SHOWING UP YOUR HOME JIGGLING THE HANDLE TO GET IN, IT WAS A POTENTIAL BUYER, BUT THE HOME IS NOT FOR SALE FOR SALE ONLINE, BUT ACTUALLY. >> THIS HOUSE IS NOT FOR SALE, YOU APPARENTLY HAVE BEEN THE VICTIM OF A SCAM. >> BETTY MOSS HAD TO PUT THIS SIGN ON HER FRONT DOOR. >> I HAVE TO JUMP UP AND ANSWER THE DOOR, CHECK OUT MY FRONT DOOR EVERY 5 MINUTES. >> SOMEONE LISTED HER HOME ON ZILLOW POSTING THE SAME PICTURES AND DESCRIPTION FROM 2018 WHEN SHE BOUGHT THE HOME, FIRST POTENTIAL BUYERS STOPPED BY TO TRY TO GET IN AND SEE IT. >> I WAS SITTING ON MY COUCH, HEARD THIS RACKET GOING ON. >> SHE HAPPEN TO HAVE AN OLD BOX, HER SON, CLIFF, REMOVED IT. >> YOU HAVE A SINKING FEELING THAT, WHAT IF SHE JUST WALKED IN THE HOUSE, DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO LOCK IT. >> ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE BUYER, THEN REALTOR SHOWED UP, MOSS CONTACTED ZILLOW. >> THEY TOLD HER, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO, YOU HAVE TO CONTACT WHOEVER LISTED IT TO REMOVE IT. >> FRUSTRATED, THEY E-MAILED 5 ON YOUR SIDE. >> I NEED TO REACH OUT TO SOMEBODY THAT HAS MORE CONTACTS THAN WE DO. >> WE CONTACTED ZILLOW, THEY IMMEDIATELY REMOVED THE LISTING ADDING THAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED WHEN MOSS FIRST CALLED. A LOCAL REALTOR TOLD US ABOUT OTHER RECENT CASES IN ONE SHE SAYS THE SCAM SELLER TOLD THE BUYER THAT THEY FIRST HAD TO RENT THE HOME BEFORE IT COULD BE SOLD, THE GOAL FOR THIS SCAMMER THERE, TO COLLECT AN UP FRONT CASH DEPOSIT. IN THIS MARKET, WITH FOR SALE BY OWNER LISTINGS, BUYERS NEED TO RESEARCH WHO OWNS THE HOME AND TALK WITH THEM. >> WHEN SOMEONE BRINGS US A HOME, WE’LL LOOK ON THE MLS, WE’RE GOING TO SEE, IS THAT ACTUALLY A HOME THAT IS FOR SALE? DIANE FA IS WITH REALTY COMPANY, DASH CAROLINA, SHE RECOMMENDS CONCERNED HOMEOWNERS CREATE A GOOGLE ALERT. >> IF YOUR ADDRESS, THIS GOES FOR YOUR NAME, IF THERE ARE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT YOUR NAME, YOUR ADDRESS, THINGS ARE BEING MENTIONED ABOUT YOU, GET AN ALERT. ZILLOW LETS YOU CLAIM THE ACCOUNT, WHICH PREVENTS OTHERS FROM LISTING FOR RENT, HOWEVER, ANYONE CAN CLAIM ANY HOME, OUR PRODUCER CLAIMED MINE. IF YOU FIND YOUR HOME IS ALREADY CLAIMED, THAT’S A RED FLAG, YOU CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS THROUGH THE WEBSITE TO PROVE A HOME IS YOURS. FIRST THING THAT POPPED UP IN MY MIND, WAS THIS IS A SCAM, AND SOMEBODY HAS GOT MY MOM. >> THANKFULLY AFTER THE KNOCKS AND JIGGLE AT THE DOOR, MOSS SUCCESSFULLY PUT A STOP TO IT. IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO DOING ANOTHER LEVEL OF RESEARCH TO VERIFY INFORMATION, THAT’S WHERE YOU ARE A HOME BUYER, SELLER OR EVEN RENTER, NOT
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