Deed Scam Hits Lee County

Scandal steals land from the dead and resells for major profit

Another scam has been uncovered in Lee County involving the fraudulent transfer of deceased individuals properties. As original owners of Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres lots, who purchased them from Gulf American Corporation, are dying, scam artists have found a scenario ripe for exploitation.

How the scam works is through the use of a forged quitclaim deed where the scammer forges the signatures of the deceased to gain title to the property. The scam artist then resells the property to another individual, pocketing the profits from the deal and leaving the new owner with a very big problem.

The biggest challenge facing law enforcement officials is the sheer number of vacant parcels in the county, currently over 219,000.

Deed scam hits Lee [News-Press]