A bad example: scams involving led secondary sellers have spread to the regions

We are talking about a fraudulent scheme in which the seller, after selling an apartment and receiving money, demands that the property be returned to him, declaring that he entered into a deal under the influence of scammers.

In the capital, the real estate community is well aware of this problem, noted Andrei Bannikov. The association sees that this scheme is already used in other Russian cities with a population of over a million.

In Moscow, about 100 cases of fraud in the secondary market are recorded annually. This is approximately one case in 1.5 thousand transactions with secondary housing. On average across the country, scams involving secondary housing occur two to three times less often.

Over the past two months, the number of scams in the capital’s real estate market has decreased by 20%, Bannikov added. At the same time, the fraudulent scheme with led sellers spreads to the regions.

Let us remind you that in August 2024, singer Larisa Dolina sold her apartment in Khamovniki under the influence of scammers. The scammers introduced themselves as law enforcement officers and convinced the singer to sell his home and transfer money to supposedly safe accounts. The Valley was confident that the deal would be a sham. The court found that the singer’s actions were unconscious. The apartment was returned to Dolina, while Polina Lurie, who purchased the property in good faith, was left without real estate and without money. Lurie’s defense is trying to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.

source: CYANOGEN