Fake Land and Plot Seller Advance Scam on social media

How it looks on social media, the red flags and what to do.

Social media scams use real-looking profiles, reels, ads and direct messages. The account may look old, and the comments may be bought. Fake Land and Plot Seller Advance Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A seller offers a plot or flat at a low price, takes a booking advance, and the property belongs to someone else. Learn how to check ownership.

What fake land and plot seller advance scam looks like on social media

• A direct message from a stranger, a "brand" or a "recruiter".
• A giveaway that asks you to pay a small fee or share a code.
• An ad with a celebrity face and a payment link.

The scammer finds an empty plot or a property owned by an absent owner, and copies its photos and details from public listings. He creates a listing with a lower price and a short window. Papers are scanned from real documents with the owner's name changed or a forged power of attorney added, and the story of an urgent sale explains the discount.

Red flags to check on the social media message

• A price well below the market with an urgent reason for selling.
• An owner who is always abroad or unreachable.
• Advance requested to a personal account before any document check.
• Scanned papers only, with no originals or registry visit.
• A stranger moves the chat to WhatsApp or Telegram.
• A prize needs a payment or a code first.

What to do

1. Meet the owner in person and see the property before paying anything.
2. Verify the ownership and encumbrance at the local registry office or through a lawyer.
3. Pay registration charges only to the government's official channels, never to a seller.
4. If you paid, call 1930 and keep screenshots of the chat and the payment.
5. Do not pay, share codes or move to another app.
6. Check the account: when it was created, who follows it, and whether the real brand links to it from its own website.

Use Report on the profile, post or ad. If money was lost, call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 and report at cybercrime.gov.in with the advance and chat details.
2. Tell your bank on the number printed on your card about the transfer.
3. Consult a lawyer and file a written complaint at the police station.
4. Alert the real owner or local society if the property is identified.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's scam check can read the seller's message and mark the low price, the urgency and the advance request, the link check warns about lookalike property or registry pages, and Money Shield offers a checklist before a large transfer. It cannot verify title deeds or ownership, which require a lawyer and the official registry. Ask a lawyer to check the papers too.

Full guide: Fake Land and Plot Seller Advance Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: phone call, WhatsApp, email.

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