One of the most common real estate scams is escrow wire fraud. This fraud occurs when scammers pose as representatives of a title or escrow company and contact a new homebuyer with instructions about where to wire large down payments. If they succeed, these scammers can make off with thousands of dollars—leaving the buyer scrambling to find enough money to make the actual down payment.
To avoid falling for escrow fraud, always check the original documents you received directly from your lender and call the phone number listed on the document to confirm the validity of the wiring instructions.
Floridians should be wary of any email, text message or phone call requesting a change to wiring instructions you have already received—confirm the account number with your bank or lender before wiring any money.
To learn about real estate scams and how to avoid them, go to MyFloridaLegal.com/ConsumerAlert. You can report scam to my office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or by visiting MyFloridaLegal.com.
By watching out for real estate scams, and reporting fraud to my office, you can help us build a Stronger, Safer Florida.
In The News
Attorney General Ashley Moody Warns Floridians of Current Real Estate Scams Targeting Housing Market, Space Coast Daily
Ashley Moody Warns Floridians About Real Estate Scams, Florida Daily
Attorney General publishes 2021 Hurricane Preparedness Guide, WINK News
Moody joins fight for Keystone pipeline, CBS 12 West Palm Beach
Moody joins other states to challenge Keystone Pipeline cancellation, Fox 35 Orlando
Ashley Moody wants quick action in immigration appeal, Florida Politics
Protecting Floridians
Attorney General Moody Fights for Energy Independence and Florida Jobs by Challenging President Biden’s Unlawful Keystone Cancellation
Attorney General Ashley Moody is fighting for Florida jobs and the nation’s energy independence by challenging President Joe Biden’s unlawful executive order that cancelled construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Attorney General Moody is joining attorneys general from 22 states in an amended complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to block Biden’s unconstitutional and unlawful attempt to cancel the Keystone Pipeline.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “Minutes after taking the oath of office, President Biden signed an unlawful executive order reversing an Act of Congress and eliminating Florida jobs. His order, halting construction of the Keystone Pipeline, is not only a jobs killer, it risks our nation’s energy independence and national security—we all saw last month how quickly losing access to just one pipeline can cause chaos and uncertainty in a large portion of our country.
“I recently met with Congressman Neal Dunn, who has been speaking with Floridians in his district who lost work because of Biden’s reckless order. We must help these Floridians get back to work. That is why, I am joining attorneys general from across our country to put an end to President Biden’s unlawful executive order and resume construction of the Keystone Pipeline to get Floridians back to work, increase our energy independence and enhance our national security.” Read More
Attorney General Moody Secures Additional Money for Floridians In Keurig Antitrust Case
Attorney General Ashley Moody, along with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, secured a larger share of the $31 million fund established to reimburse their states’ consumer purchasers of Keurig K-Cup Portion Packs. The class action settlement in the case In re Keurig Green Mountain Single Serve Coffee Antitrust Litigation would have awarded purchasers of K-Cups in Florida and Illinois only one-third as much as similar purchasers in other states. However, because of Attorney General Moody’s objection, the settlement class counsel amended the allocation plan and agreed to pay K-Cup purchasers in Florida and Illinois up to 100% of the value of their claims.Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “As Attorney General, I am committed to protecting consumers and that includes ensuring that Floridians receive fair treatment in national class action settlements. This action will help ensure Florida consumers have the same opportunity as consumers in other states to seek the full value of their claims associated with this national antitrust case.” Read More