馃攳
Tracking Down a Real Estate Scammer! - YouTube
Channel: Pleasant Green
[0]
- Hey everybody, it turns out
we have a scammer on Instagram
[2]
who's impersonating a real estate agent
[4]
and collecting money from
would-be renters and homeowners.
[8]
Law enforcement and Instagram
aren't going anything to help,
[11]
so now the guy on YouTube
[12]
has to step in and take care of it.
[14]
So, let's get into it.
[16]
(upbeat music)
[20]
The story goes like this.
[22]
There's a guy named Hairo
[23]
who sells and rents
properties in New York City.
[25]
It's a hot market out there right now,
[27]
so you wanna make sure
you've got a good Realtor
[29]
who can get you into a nice
place for the right price.
[33]
Apparently this Hairo
Instagram account is fake,
[35]
because the real Hairo contacted me saying
[37]
that this guy is scamming people
and giving him a bad name.
[42]
So, I decided to call up the real Hairo
[44]
and get the full story.
[46]
'Kay, well, I'm here with Hairo.
[48]
How's it going today, Hairo?
[50]
- I'm great, I'm great, thank you.
[52]
- So, tell us what you do,
you're a Realtor in New York,
[55]
is that right?
[57]
- I sell and rent
properties here in New York.
[61]
Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx.
[64]
- Apparently there's a scammer
out there impersonating you.
[68]
Can you talk a little bit
about how you heard about this?
[72]
- It was on a Monday morning,
I'm working from home,
[75]
and my office calls me and they're like,
[78]
"Hairo, some lady called.
[81]
She says you were supposed
to meet with her yesterday
[82]
for an appointment, you never showed up,
[84]
she gave you a deposit."
[85]
That's already in my head,
I'm like, gave me a deposit?
[88]
So I call the young lady and she's like,
[90]
"Yeah, we been talking on Instagram
[93]
and your page and your apartments."
[96]
I'm like, "What?"
[97]
She's like, "Yeah, yeah, I
gave you the application fee."
[101]
The first thing I told her was,
[103]
well ma'am, it sounds
like you've been scammed.
[106]
After a few minutes from
getting off the phone,
[108]
she sends me a whole transcript.
[111]
As I'm reading it,
[112]
scrolling through the screenshots,
[114]
they had it set up perfectly.
[117]
You would think you're
speaking to an actual person.
[120]
They had it set up to where
you pay the application fee,
[125]
$150 application fee, which
in New York is illegal,
[129]
you can't charge application
fees for that high.
[131]
Since then, every other day
[133]
I've been hearing about this page.
[135]
- So you know for a fact
[136]
that multiple people
have fallen for this scam
[138]
and lost money?
[139]
- I personally have been
informed of three people now
[143]
that have given money to this page.
[145]
- So some people have lost money.
[147]
We're talking about hundreds
or even thousands of dollars
[149]
at times.
- Yeah.
[151]
- So that could really hurt people.
[152]
But how does it hurt you as
a real estate professional
[154]
trying to do your job?
[156]
Does it have any kinda impact
[157]
on your work and your reputation?
[159]
- The last thing I need is
someone leaving a bad review
[162]
saying that I'm going
around scamming people.
[164]
Although I know it's not true,
[166]
and although anyone that
speaks to me directly,
[169]
I can explain to them the situation,
[171]
but someone reads that review,
[172]
and why would I contact
someone who has a review
[175]
stating that they're a scammer.
[177]
That's the last person I'm gonna contact.
[179]
- Well, when Hairo tried to
reach out to this scammer,
[182]
he just got blocked.
[183]
Then when he went to the police
they basically just said,
[186]
"Sorry, we wish we could do more."
[188]
So I said, "Okay, lemme
see what I can dig up."
[190]
But real quickly, before we get too far,
[193]
I just wanna remind you guys to be careful
[194]
when making payments to people
that you don't know online.
[197]
I've got a great tip to share with you,
[199]
and that's to use
privacy.com, today's sponsor.
[202]
With privacy.com you can
generate virtual numbers
[205]
to act as your payment card,
[206]
and it's a totally unique number
[207]
that masks your banking information
[209]
so you don't need to worry
about giving away your info.
[211]
You can choose who can charge
the card for exactly how much,
[215]
and how often.
[216]
So, it's not just a safe
way to make purchases,
[218]
it's a great way to manage your finances.
[220]
Like if you wanna sign up for a free trial
[222]
and make sure they
don't keep charging you,
[224]
or if you wanna subscribe to a service
[226]
but don't want them to keep hitting you
[227]
with unexpected charges,
[229]
you should use a virtual
number from privacy.com.
[232]
I recently signed up for
a subscription on Amazon
[235]
and I used a virtual number with a limit
[236]
because I didn't wanna forget
about it and get overcharged.
[239]
I really think that you should try it out
[241]
and see what you think.
[242]
Privacy will give you $5
when you sign up with my link
[245]
at privacy.com/pleasantgreen.
[248]
It's not a trick.
[249]
It's free money just
to let you try it out.
[252]
I think that you're gonna love it,
[253]
so go to privacy.com/pleasantgreen
[256]
as soon as you're done with this video.
[259]
But right now, it's time
to hunt down this scammer.
[261]
So I found the fake
Hairo's Instagram account
[263]
and I wrote him saying,
[264]
"Hello, I would like to
see if one of your listings
[266]
is still available."
[267]
And he said, "Hello, which of
the unit we talking about?"
[271]
Then I just looked through his feed,
[272]
and I found some random
apartment that he was promoting.
[275]
Which is funny, because if
you Google this address,
[277]
you'll see that it's a
property being managed
[279]
by a completely different Realtor.
[282]
I said to him, 19 Old Mamaroneck Road.
[285]
And he responded with,
"Okay, it's still available."
[288]
Yeah, sure it is.
[291]
Hairo then says I need to
submit a copy of my tax returns,
[293]
two pay stubs and a photo ID.
[295]
He also says I need to
complete an application
[297]
before I can schedule a viewing.
[299]
I soon get an email from
Hairo with the application.
[302]
He tells me to kindly
fill out the application
[305]
and send it back.
[306]
Okay, time out.
[307]
If anyone ever tells you
to "kindly" do something,
[310]
they're probably scamming you.
[312]
When has anyone in the last
50 years ever told someone
[314]
to kindly do something?
[316]
We don't talk like that anymore, scammers.
[318]
But, maybe we should though.
[320]
The world could use a lot more kindness.
[323]
Anyway, so I fill in the application
[324]
with the most random crap I can think of
[326]
because this scammer isn't gonna read it.
[328]
He just wants his money.
[330]
But I want to know where this scammer is,
[331]
so I can spook him.
[333]
I can do this by sending
him a trackable link
[335]
from grabify.link.
[336]
If he clicks it, I can get his IP address
[339]
and know what kind of device he's using,
[340]
and where he's located.
[342]
So I trick him by creating an email
[344]
that looks like I'm
sharing a folder with him
[345]
containing all my documents.
[347]
But the button to view the files
[349]
is going to be replaced
with my Grabify link.
[352]
Then I send him the email
[353]
and I wait patiently for him to click.
[356]
Which he does.
[357]
And it turns out Hairo's
imposter is not in New York City,
[360]
he's living in...
[361]
(mid-tempo music)
[363]
I'm sorry to all my Nigerian viewers.
[366]
He wrote me and he said, "Good morning.
[367]
Just received your application.
[369]
Kindly proceed with your application fee.
[371]
I would forward to you the
company's Zelle information
[374]
to proceed payment."
[375]
Okay there's that "kindly" language again.
[377]
I said, "How much?"
[379]
"Kindly proceed with your application fee
[381]
through the below Zelle information.
[383]
Do take screenshot after
making successful payment.
[386]
Okay, so who is Sarah Bryan,
[387]
and how is she mixed up in all of this?
[389]
So I have to pay $200 just
to be able to see the place?
[393]
"Yes, after making your
applications a date for viewing
[395]
will be scheduled for you."
[397]
And again, nobody should pay
an agent before you meet them
[400]
or see the property.
[401]
But hey, it's a tough market out there.
[403]
So I said, "Okay, I'm interested.
[405]
Can I call you with a few
questions about the property
[407]
before I pay."
[409]
He's actually up for a phone call,
[412]
so enjoy the conversation.
[413]
- [Operator] Press 1 -
(phone keys beep)
[414]
to send a voice-
[416]
- [Scammer] Hello?
[416]
- Hello?
[419]
- [Scammer] Yeah, Hairo Matos speaking.
[420]
- Oh, hi, is this Hairo?
[423]
- [Scammer] Yeah, this is Hairo.
[424]
- Oh hi, nice to meet you.
[427]
- [Scammer] Okay.
[428]
- Hey I just had a few questions
[431]
about the property
[432]
on Mamaroneck Road.
[437]
- [Scammer] Okay.
[439]
- Am I pronouncing that
right? Mama, Mamaroneck?
[442]
- [Scammer] Yeah.
[443]
- Ma-mamaroneck?
[446]
- [Scammer] Mamaroneck Road.
[447]
- Oh, okay.
[449]
I just wanted to ask about the property.
[453]
You say that heating is covered?
[457]
- [Scammer] Sorry, I didn't hear you.
[459]
- On the listing, you say
that heating is covered
[461]
by the owner.
[462]
Is that correct?
[464]
- [Scammer] Yeah, yeah,
all utilities are involved.
[466]
Heat is also involved.
[468]
It says so on the application.
[470]
- What about air conditioning?
[473]
- [Scammer] Yeah, everything is involved.
[475]
The only thing you have to pay for
[479]
is the electricity.
[482]
- So I don't need to pay
for air conditioning?
[484]
- [Scammer] No.
[487]
- How hot does it usually get
in that part of the state?
[492]
- [Scammer] How hot does it usually get?
[493]
- Yeah, how hot does it
get in the summertime?
[497]
In the hundreds, or the nineties?
[501]
- [Scammer] Are you really concerned
[502]
about the temperature of the place
[505]
or are you concerned about the apartment?
[507]
- Just the area, I'm
moving from out of state,
[511]
so I'm just wondering how
hot it gets in the summer.
[514]
Okay, if you're going to
pretend to be a Realtor
[515]
in New York City,
[517]
maybe do your homework
and learn a little bit
[518]
about the area.
[519]
- [Scammer] Okay, it's like 90.
[521]
- Is that about as hot
as it gets in Nigeria,
[524]
or is it a little hotter than that?
[526]
(drum roll plays)
[532]
(phone chimes)
(laughs)
[534]
- Oh, that spooked him.
[536]
He immediately blocked me,
but I had my friend Tyler,
[539]
who runs the YouTube
channel Profiling Evil,
[541]
send him a message.
[542]
He said, "Hey I'm interested
in one of your rentals."
[546]
And Hairo said, "Hello. Do
forward the post to me."
[549]
Tyler said, "Sorry I don't have the post,
[551]
but the one I'm interested
in is in Lagos, Nigeria."
[555]
(chime rings)
[555]
He said, "W-T-F."
[558]
Then Tyler got blocked too.
[559]
So he knows he's being watched,
[561]
and he's gonna love it when I
send him a link to this video
[563]
that thousands of people are now watching.
[566]
Why don't you leave a message
for him in the comments here,
[569]
I'm sure he would love to hear from you.
[571]
Hopefully this video will be enough
[572]
to get the account removed
[573]
so Hairo can continue to do his job
[575]
without his clients getting scammed.
[578]
The real Hairo also has something
that he would like to say.
[581]
- First and foremost,
never send anybody money
[585]
before they even show you a property.
[587]
Never fill out any personal information
[590]
before you even meet this person,
[592]
or before you even come into the office.
[593]
I will usually suggest
going to the office first,
[597]
or meet them somewhere at a property
[599]
or something like that,
[600]
but I would never suggest or ask anyone
[603]
to fill out any personal information
[604]
or pay any money before I
show them any properties.
[608]
- What, if anything would you wanna say
[610]
to the person who's been impersonating you
[612]
and scamming others in your name?
[614]
- Find a job. Find a job.
[616]
I mean, he's really, really
made a dedication to this.
[621]
They're really focused on
keeping this page going
[625]
as if it were me.
[626]
So I would say, just find a job.
[629]
There's many ways to find money out there
[631]
that's not scamming people out of theirs.
[634]
- My thanks to Hairo for
letting me share his story,
[637]
and thanks to all of you for watching.
[639]
Remember to be careful
with who you send money to,
[641]
or buy houses from.
[643]
If you found this video interesting,
[644]
then do me a favor and
share it with a friend.
[647]
Also be sure to subscribe
for more videos just like it,
[649]
because there's a lotta
scamming going on out there,
[651]
and we've got to expose all of it.
[653]
So thanks again for watching,
and I will see you next time.
[657]
(upbeat music)
Most Recent Videos:
You can go back to the homepage right here: Homepage