Just because they look like a real estate agent and act like a real estate agent does not make them an agent. In fact, they may be one of America’s crooked agents, or just someone posing as one. Some fraud victims learned the hard way that John Patrick Ingar was not a landlord, but a man posing as a Realtor to make a quick buck.

Crooked Agents – Or False Crooked Agents

Victim Tomas Seijos admitted, “I was trusting,” when speaking to a reporter from NBC Miami. When Ingar was arrested, there were over 9,000 foreclosed properties in South Florida. Ingar spent time doing research on the foreclosed properties, changed the locks, and rented them out to people even though he had no claim on the property.

Seijos paid Ingar $3,300 to move into a vacant townhouse. Ingar quickly made off with that $3,300, never to be seen again.

The real homeowners discovered that the property was inhabited by an unauthorized resident when they drove by. The real owner agreed to let Seijos continue to rent the property, this time legitimately, despite the unsavory method of moving in.

Be on the Lookout

Interviewing an agent is an important step in hiring someone you don’t know. You should interview any Realtor or landlord to understand their qualifications, experience, and look for any red flags.

Read the entire story at NBC 6 South Florida.