By Lisa A. Tyler
National Escrow Administrator

The absentee owner and seller imposter scams do not just affect individual owners of residential properties, it affects entities owning all types of properties, including agricultural land. Discover how a religious ministry had their property stolen out from under them by reading “HOLY moly.”

Orders are down due to rising interest rates and low inventory. Settlement agents, however, should not be so desperate for orders they ignore all the signs of a fraudulent transaction. Find out how an escrow officer was duped into depositing and disbursing against uncollected funds in the story titled “FICTITIOUS checks.” 

After reading the eleven articles shared this year, readers should have a general understanding of how criminals and their co-conspirators launder money and how real estate transactions may facilitate their efforts. 

Therefore, title companies and settlement agents have been the recipient of Geographic Targeting Orders adding additional reporting requirements for certain types of real estate transactions. To wrap up this series of articles on cash reporting, be sure to read “CONCLUSION.”