We Buy Houses Scams in Florida: Red Flags and How to Verify Any Cash Buyer

Home › We Buy Houses Scams · Updated October 25, 2026

If you own a house in Florida, you have probably seen the yellow signs at intersections, received the handwritten-looking postcards, or had a text arrive from a number you don’t recognize asking whether you would “consider an offer.” Some of those messages come from established local buyers. Some come from people who will tie up your property and try to sell the contract. A small number come from criminals. From the outside, all three can look the same.

This page is about telling them apart. Instead of a generic list of tips, it walks through the specific schemes that show up again and again in Florida, explains how each one actually makes money for the person running it, and gives you the exact checks that expose it. We also explain, honestly, the difference between a buyer who closes with its own money and a wholesaler who assigns a contract, because that difference is not a scam by itself but it matters to your timeline. And because we are a cash buyer too, we tell you how to check us the same way.

If you want a shorter pre-signing checklist and a walkthrough of contract clauses, our companion article on how to choose a legitimate cash home buyer in Florida covers that. This page goes deeper into how the scams work and what to do if you think you are already in one.

How Libera Capital Group Holds Itself to the Standard on This Page

It would be easy for a cash buyer to write a scam-warning page that conveniently describes everyone except itself. We would rather give you the tests and let you apply them to us first.

Eight Scam Playbooks Florida Sellers Run Into

Scams aimed at home sellers rarely invent anything new. They recycle a handful of scripts, adjusted for whatever is happening in the market: storm damage, foreclosure filings, a wave of inherited properties, or rising insurance costs. Each script below explains how the scheme works, what it looks like from your side of the table, and the single check that usually exposes it.

1. The “processing fee” or “listing fee” buyer

How it works: the caller offers an attractive price, then explains that a small fee is needed before the purchase can move forward. It may be called an appraisal fee, an application fee, a title search deposit, a “lock-in” fee, or a fee to put your home into their “buyer network.” Once paid, the buyer becomes harder to reach, or a second fee appears.

What it looks like: payment requested by gift card, payment app, cryptocurrency or a wire to an individual, often with urgency attached.

The check: a real buyer pays to buy your house. Title searches, inspections and appraisals ordered by a buyer are the buyer’s costs. Any request for money from you before closing, other than your normal share of closing costs shown on a title company’s settlement statement, is a reason to walk away.

2. The high number that is designed to come down

How it works: the buyer offers well above what the property is realistically worth as-is, gets you under contract with a long inspection or “due diligence” period, and then uses that period. Shortly before the deadline, a contractor’s bid or a vague “structural concern” appears, and the price drops sharply. By then you have turned away other buyers and, often, made moving plans.

What it looks like: an offer that seems too good, an inspection period of 30 days or more on a simple house, and reluctance to put an escrow deposit with a title company until “after inspections.”

The check: ask the buyer to explain in writing how it reached its number, including its repair estimate. A buyer that has actually priced the repairs can tell you which ones. Compare the offer to what an honest method produces. We publish ours, and our repair cost estimator gives you a rough low-to-high repair range to compare against. Renegotiation is not automatically dishonest when something truly unexpected is found, but a pattern of last-minute cuts is a strategy, not a surprise.

3. The contract that was never meant to be closed by the person who signed it

How it works: the person who signs your contract has no plan or money to buy. The goal is to find someone else who will, and to collect the difference. When it works, you close with the second buyer. When it doesn’t, the contract quietly dies at the end of the inspection period and you have lost weeks.

What it looks like: “and/or assigns” after the buyer’s name, a very small or delayed deposit, strangers showing up to look at the house who seem to be investors, and vague answers about who is closing.

The check: ask directly, “Will your company be the one that closes and pays with its own funds?” Then ask for proof of funds in the name that appears on the contract. We explain the honest version of assignment in the next section, because not every assignment is a scam.

4. The foreclosure “rescue” that takes your deed

How it works: an owner behind on payments is told the company can stop the foreclosure if the owner signs the house over “temporarily,” keeps living there as a renter, and buys it back later. The new owner may collect rent, borrow against the equity, or let the foreclosure finish anyway. The homeowner ends up with no house and no equity.

What it looks like: promises to “save” the home, requests to sign a deed or a lease-back agreement quickly, and fees for rescue services.

The check: Florida regulates this area specifically. Section 501.1377 of the Florida Statutes governs foreclosure-related rescue services and equity purchasers. Among other things, it prohibits rescue consultants from collecting payment before they fully perform the services in a written agreement, requires written agreements with cancellation rights, and treats violations as unfair and deceptive trade practices. If someone offers to stop your foreclosure by taking title, speak with a Florida attorney or a HUD-approved housing counselor before you sign. Our selling a house in foreclosure page explains honest options, including a straightforward sale.

5. Deed and title fraud on homes the owner isn’t watching

How it works: a criminal impersonates the owner of a property, usually a vacant house, a second home, a rental, or a parcel owned by someone who lives out of state, and “sells” it to an unsuspecting buyer or forges a deed into their own name and borrows against it. Sometimes the impersonator contacts a real cash buyer or title company pretending to be the owner. Sometimes a forged deed is simply recorded.

What it looks like from the owner’s side: nothing at all, until a neighbor mentions a “for sale” sign, a tax bill goes to a different name, or someone starts work on the property.

The check: Florida responded to this problem in 2023 legislation that, among other changes, required the address of each witness on recorded conveyances starting January 1, 2024, directed county clerks to offer a free electronic notification service that alerts you when a document is recorded under your name, and created a faster court process to clear title after a fraudulent instrument is recorded. The same law authorized a pilot program in Lee County under which the clerk may require a government-issued photo ID from the person presenting a transfer document for recording. If you own property you don’t visit often, sign up for your county clerk’s recording alerts. Owners of vacant property and heirs who haven’t yet probated an estate are the most common targets.

6. Spoofed wiring instructions at closing

How it works: criminals watch for real estate transactions, often through compromised email accounts, and send the seller or buyer an email that looks like it came from the title company with “updated” wiring instructions. The money goes to the criminal’s account and is moved quickly.

What it looks like: a last-minute change to wiring or payoff instructions, a slightly misspelled email address, or a request to keep the change quiet.

The check: never act on emailed wiring instructions without calling the title company at a phone number you looked up independently, not one in the email. Sellers are usually receiving funds rather than sending them, but scammers also target sellers by asking for “corrected” account details for your proceeds. Confirm those by phone too.

7. Fake or borrowed proof of funds

How it works: a buyer sends a bank letter or statement that was edited, belongs to someone else, or comes from a “transactional lender” with no real commitment to fund your deal. The document’s job is to get you to sign, not to close.

The check: the name on the funds should match the name on the contract, or the buyer should explain the relationship in writing. If something feels off, ask your title company whether the buyer’s funds can be wired into escrow on a reasonable schedule. A buyer with real money won’t be offended.

8. The lookalike company

How it works: a scammer borrows the name, logo or website design of a real business, sometimes changing one letter in the domain, and uses that borrowed reputation to collect fees or personal information.

The check: confirm the company’s website address yourself, call the number listed on its Google Business Profile, and check that the entity name on your contract matches a registered Florida entity on Sunbiz. Our only website is liberacg.com, our phone number is (239) 686-0823 and our email is acquisitions@liberacg.com. If someone claiming to be us uses anything else, contact us before you respond.

End Buyer or Wholesaler? An Honest Explanation

A lot of “we buy houses” marketing in Florida comes from wholesalers. A wholesaler signs a contract to buy a property and then, with the seller’s knowledge, assigns that contract to another buyer for a fee, or buys and immediately resells in a “double close.” Wholesaling is a real business model, and many wholesalers are honest people who bring motivated sellers and end buyers together. The problem is not wholesaling itself. The problem is when a seller doesn’t know which kind of buyer they are dealing with, or when someone misrepresents their ability to close.

An end buyer is the company that will actually pay for, own and repair or hold the property. Libera Capital Group buys as an end buyer: we purchase houses and improved commercial property for our own account with our own capital, and we close in our own name. We also work with wholesalers, openly, through our wholesaler partner program, and our article on assignments and double closings in Florida explains how those structures work.

Here is why the distinction matters to you as a seller. An end buyer’s offer depends on its own analysis. A wholesaler’s offer depends on whether it can find an end buyer at a higher price within the inspection window. That can work out fine, but it adds a layer of uncertainty to your timeline. The honest approach is for a wholesaler to tell you up front that it may assign the contract, and for you to decide whether that is acceptable. Rules on marketing a property you don’t own can involve real estate licensing law, and several states have adopted wholesaler-specific disclosure rules; if you have questions about a particular contract, a Florida real estate attorney can tell you how the law applies.

What High-Pressure Phrases Really Mean

Pressure is the common thread in nearly every scam, because pressure stops people from making the one phone call that would expose the problem. Here is what some familiar lines usually signal, and a calm reply you can use.

• “This offer is only good until tonight.” Real buyers revise offers when facts change, but they don’t need you to decide before you can call a family member or attorney. Reply: “I’ll need a few days to review it.”
• “You don’t need a title company; we handle everything in-house.” A buyer that wants to avoid an independent closing agent wants to avoid oversight. Reply: “I’ll only close through a licensed title company.”
• “Just sign the deed now so we can stop the foreclosure.” A deed transfers ownership. Signing one before a full purchase contract, a closing and payment is how owners lose homes. Reply: “I’ll have an attorney review anything I sign.”
• “Don’t tell your lender or your family yet.” Secrecy protects the scheme, not you.
• “We’re the only ones who will buy a house like this.” Many investors buy damaged, occupied or inherited homes. Getting a second offer is easy and free.
• “There’s a small fee to get you into our program.” There is no program. Walk away.

A legitimate buyer, including us, should be comfortable with every one of those replies. If our answer to your questions ever sounds like pressure, hold us to the standard on this page.

How to Verify Any Buyer, Including Us

You don’t need special skills to vet a cash buyer. Six checks, most of them free and online, will catch nearly every scheme described above. Here is each one, with what you should expect to find if you run it on Libera Capital Group.

1. Look up the entity on Sunbiz. The Florida Division of Corporations publishes every registered LLC and corporation, its status, its principal address and its filing history. Search the exact name on your contract. An “active” status and a filing history that makes sense are good signs; a company formed days ago, or not found at all, deserves more questions. For us, search “Libera Capital Group.”
2. Check licenses with the Florida DBPR. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s license-verification search shows whether a real estate broker, sales associate or contractor is licensed and whether the license is current. Not every buyer needs a license to buy for its own account, but if a buyer claims a license, confirm it. Our principals are licensed Florida real estate brokers who buy as principals for the company’s own account and do not represent any party in the transaction; license numbers are available on request.
3. Look at the Google Business Profile and the office. A real office address, a consistent phone number and a profile history are harder to fake than a website. Our Google Business Profile lists our Fort Myers office at 10012 Gulf Center Dr, Suite 5253, where we meet by appointment.
4. Insist on a licensed Florida title company holding funds. The title company or closing attorney searches title, holds the escrow deposit, prepares the settlement statement, records the deed and disburses your proceeds. You can call them yourself to confirm the deposit arrived. We are happy to close with a title company you choose when it is practical.
5. Ask for proof of funds and match the names. Proof should be recent and in the name of the buyer on your contract, or accompanied by a written explanation of the relationship. A buyer that can’t or won’t provide it should not get an exclusive contract on your home.
6. Have the contract read before you sign. A Florida real estate attorney can tell you, usually quickly, how long the buyer can walk away, whether the deposit is ever at risk to you, whether the contract can be assigned, and what happens if closing is delayed. Our agreement is written in plain English and you are welcome to have an attorney review it.

None of these checks is a guarantee by itself, and none replaces professional advice. Together, they make it very hard for a bad actor to get far. They also help you compare honest offers: our cash offer vs. listing comparison and our page on Libera Capital Group vs. iBuyers explain how different kinds of legitimate buyers price a home.

Who Gets Targeted in Southwest Florida, and Why

Scammers follow distress, distance and paperwork gaps. In our home market of Southwest Florida, that tends to mean a few groups of owners.

Owners recovering from storms

After Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Helene and Milton in 2024, many owners faced repairs, insurance disputes and FEMA substantial-damage reviews at the same time. That combination produces exactly the stress scammers look for. Unlicensed “contractors” demanding large deposits and buyers offering to take a flooded home “today” both multiplied. If your home was damaged, our hurricane and flood damage page explains the honest options, and you can confirm any contractor’s license on the DBPR site before paying anything.

Heirs and families settling an estate

Inherited homes are often vacant, the heirs may live far away, and title may still be in the name of someone who has died. That makes them attractive to deed fraud and to buyers who count on heirs not knowing what the house is worth. Our inherited and probate property guide and our probate attorney partner page describe how a proper sale works.

Seasonal and out-of-state owners

A second home in Cape Coral, Naples or Port Charlotte that sits empty for months is a natural target for impersonation. Recording alerts from your county clerk and a neighbor who knows how to reach you are simple defenses. If you’ve moved away and want to sell, see our relocation page.

Owners behind on payments or taxes

Foreclosure filings and tax-certificate lists are public, so owners in default get a flood of solicitations. Some are real offers; some are rescue schemes. Our back taxes and liens page explains how liens are paid off at a normal closing.

Older owners

Seniors are frequent targets of every kind of fraud. If you’re helping a parent sell, sit in on calls, ask for everything in writing, and make sure a licensed title company is closing.

Already Signed Something? What to Do Next

If you’ve signed a contract or document and now have doubts, don’t panic and don’t sign anything else. The right next step depends on what you signed, so get advice specific to your situation.

• Gather every document. The contract, any addenda, texts, emails, and the names of everyone you spoke with.
• Find the deadlines. Look for the inspection or due-diligence period, the closing date, the deposit terms and any cancellation rights. Some foreclosure-related agreements carry statutory cancellation rights with short deadlines.
• Call the title company named in the contract. Ask whether they have the contract, whether a deposit was received, and when closing is scheduled. If no title company is named or the one named has never heard of the deal, that is important information.
• If you signed a deed, act fast. A signed deed may already be recorded. Check your county’s official records search, and speak with a Florida real estate attorney right away.
• If you sent money, contact your bank immediately and ask about recalling the payment, then report it (see below).
• Talk to a Florida attorney before you try to cancel or ignore a contract, so you understand your rights and any risks.

Where to Report a We Buy Houses Scam

Reporting helps investigators connect cases and can help you recover money or property. Depending on what happened, you may report to more than one place.

• Federal Trade Commission: report consumer fraud and deceptive practices at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
• Florida Attorney General: the Attorney General’s fraud hotline is (866) 966-7226 (toll-free in Florida), and complaints can be filed through the Attorney General’s website, myfloridalegal.com.
• FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): for wire fraud and email-based schemes, file at ic3.gov as soon as possible and tell your bank.
• Your county clerk and sheriff: if a fraudulent deed was recorded, notify the clerk of court and file a report with local law enforcement; then speak with an attorney about clearing title.
• Florida DBPR: if the person involved holds a real estate or contractor license, you can file a complaint with the department.

Related Guides for Florida Sellers

• How our cash purchase process works
• How we calculate our offer
• Local buyer vs. national franchises
• Net proceeds calculator
• About Libera Capital Group
• Seller FAQ
• Sell my house fast in Florida
• We buy commercial property
• All seller situations

Frequently Asked Questions about We Buy Houses Scams