Can you imagine a stranger selling your land? It’s a scary prospect, but it was the reality for a man who owns property in Easton.
Easton police are nearly complete with their investigation, and the owner of that land has warnings, and a story to share.
The property sits on a quiet hill in Easton. It’s been clear-cut, now for a home that will never be built.
“She says, 'John, did you put your land up for sale?' And that’s how it all began,” John Speridakos said about a conversation with his sister.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
Speridakos, who lives out in Ohio, spent the summer chasing down an identity thief attempting to sell his two-acre property in Easton out from underneath him. They almost succeeded.
“I called up my attorney and he checked with town hall and made sure no title had changed and the title was still in my name, and it was,” Speridakos said.
Speridakos said an investigation by his attorney revealed the property had gone under contract, but the sale was never finalized. He estimated he was just in time to stop his property from taking new ownership.
Investigations
“The headaches involved, there is certainly the anxiety levels, so there is an emotional piece to this you can't explain unless you are in the situation,” Speridakos said. “It's distressing, it's disturbing, there is anger, there is all kind of stuff going on.”
According to Speridakos, the only proof the fraudster used to impersonate him was the fake ID, with his real ID number, and a random photo. That’s all it took to kick off an email-based transaction the real Speridakos didn’t know was happening.
The fraudulent seller even forged a signature to consent to wetland testing.
“Property fraud cases like this are a newly emerging problem,” Kenneth Gray with the University of New Haven said.
It’s property fraud, according to Gray. Experts say with identity fraud cases rising, those involving property are, too.
FBI records indicate in 2023, there were over 9,500 property-related cyber crimes in the U.S. for total losses of $145 million.
Just 20 miles away from the Easton property, Fairfield saw a high-profile case where not only was the property sold, a home was half built before the real landowner caught on. That case has been settled.
Gray said protecting personal information is paramount, and checking in on land records is a good start to protect your land.
“Any type of deal that happens through phone calls only, or emails only, should be suspect. Handshakes require a person to be present,” Gray said.
Luckily, Speridakos still owns his property. He noted he attempted to work out a deal with the prospective buyers who were emotionally invested in the spot, but they ultimately decided to walk away.
“This situation has at least made me think, 'Hey, are we ever really going to use this land down the road?'” Speridakos said.
He expects the property will eventually be sold, but this time, on his terms. He said his story serves as a cautionary tale for anyone attempting to jump into the housing market.
“You have worked hard to get to this point in your lives and I would hate to see someone take advantage of you,” Speridakos said.
Speridakos hopes realtors take note and put more safeguards in place to ensure when someone is listing a property, it’s theirs in the first place.
One real estate expert over at UConn said the best thing you can do as a buyer or seller is work with an experienced and knowledgeable attorney licensed in Connecticut who is practicing and well-versed in real estate law.
