Texas land scams: 9 red flags every seller should know

Vacant land is an easy target for fraud. The owner is often far away, the property is rarely visited and the paperwork is old. Scammers know this. They also know that heirs and estates are in a vulnerable moment. The good news is that almost every scam depends on a few tactics, and the tactics are easy to spot once you know them.

This is general information, not legal advice. If you suspect fraud, contact an attorney and local law enforcement. You can also report scams to the Texas Attorney General.

What are the nine red flags?

How do land sales get hijacked?

A few common schemes target Texas landowners.

Seller impersonation fraud. A criminal poses as the owner of vacant land, often land with no mortgage, and “sells” it to an unsuspecting buyer using forged documents. The real owner may not find out for months. Some title companies and counties now use extra identity checks for vacant land, and you can ask your county clerk about fraud alerts that notify you of recordings against your parcel.

Fake buyers and fake checks. A buyer offers a surprisingly high price, sends a cashier’s check and asks you to return an overpayment or pay a fee. The check is fake. The money you send is real.

Option and contract traps. Some contracts give a buyer an exclusive option for a long period with little money, then assign the contract to someone else or never close. Meanwhile your land is locked up. Read every contract, and have an attorney review any that include an option or an assignment clause.

Advance fee schemes. A “buyer” says they need you to pay a fee to cover taxes, a survey or an appraisal before they close. Legitimate costs are paid at closing through a title company.

Wire fraud. An email that looks like it is from the title company changes the account number just before funds are sent. Always confirm wire instructions by phone, using a number you found independently.

What is a safe way to sell?

1. Insist on a written offer and contract. Price, closing date, who pays what, how taxes and liens are handled.
2. Use a Texas title company. Look up the company and call it yourself. Ask who the escrow officer is.
3. Have an attorney review the contract. Especially if it has an option, an assignment clause or unusual conditions.
4. Keep earnest money in escrow. It should be held by the title company, not by the buyer.
5. Confirm wires by phone. Use a number you found yourself, not one in an email.
6. Compare more than one buyer. A real buyer is comfortable being compared.
7. Protect your parcel. Ask your county clerk about property fraud alerts, and keep your contact information current with the tax office.

How can you protect vacant land you rarely visit?

• Sign up for recording alerts. Many Texas counties offer free notification when a document is filed under your name or against your parcel.
• Keep taxes current and contact info up to date. Mail from the appraisal district and tax office can reveal fraud early.
• Visit or check imagery. A neighbor or a satellite image can show whether anyone is using the land.
• Be careful online. Do not post your parcel number, deed images or personal information in public forums.
• Treat unsolicited offers with care. Verify a company before you share documents.

How do we handle these concerns?

We put every offer in writing with an explanation of the price. We close through a Texas title company, and we encourage you to have an attorney review our agreement. We never ask you to pay money up front. If a different route would bring you more, we say so. If you ever doubt us, check us the way you would check anyone else, and call the title company directly.

What should you do if you already sent money or signed something?

Act quickly, and do not feel embarrassed. These schemes are built by professionals, and smart people fall for them.

• Call your bank right away. If you sent a wire, ask the bank to attempt a recall. Speed matters. The first 24 hours are the best window.
• Stop communicating with the buyer. Do not send more money or documents, and do not warn them that you suspect a problem.
• Save everything. Keep emails, texts, contracts, wire confirmations and phone numbers.
• Call a Texas attorney. If you signed a contract, deed or option, ask whether it can be challenged or cancelled and whether a notice should be recorded.
• Contact the county clerk. If a document was recorded against your land, ask what steps exist to correct the record.
• Report it. File reports with local law enforcement, the Texas Attorney General and, for wire fraud, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
• Tell your title company. If a sale is pending, they need to know about any fraud.

Each of these steps helps. Many victims never act because they are ashamed, and that delay helps the scammer. If you want a neutral second look at a contract before you sign, you can read how we handle sales without a realtor and ask any question you like.

What does an overpayment scam cost, in numbers?

This example is invented. Suppose someone agrees to buy your lot for $38,000 and mails you a cashier’s check for $48,000. They say the extra $10,000 was a mistake, or that it is for a “surveyor” or a “moving company”, and ask you to wire it back. The check looks real, and your bank may even show the funds as available within a day or two.

You wire $10,000. A week or two later, the bank finds the check is counterfeit and takes the deposit back. You have lost $10,000 of your own money, and you still own the lot. The wire was real and the check was not.

The rule is simple. A buyer who sends more than the price is telling you a story. A title company handles any real overage at closing, on a closing statement.

What does a legitimate sale look like next to a scam?

Keep this table handy when you get a call or a letter. A legitimate sale can pass every row.

How can you verify a title company?

Do these steps yourself, not through links or numbers the buyer gives you.

1. Search for the company name on your own. Look at the company’s official website and listings.
2. Check that it is licensed in Texas. The state regulator for insurance has a public license lookup. Ask the company for its license information and confirm it with the regulator.
3. Call the published office number. Ask for the escrow officer by name.
4. Ask for the contract and the escrow agreement. A real company sends them.
5. Visit if you can. Many closings happen in an office. Remote closings are common too, but you can still call to confirm.
6. Confirm wire instructions by phone. Use the number you found yourself, every time instructions change.

If any of these fail, stop. Pausing costs you a day. A bad wire can cost you the whole sale.

How do risks differ by seller situation?

Heirs and estates. Scammers read obituaries and probate filings. Offers may arrive soon after a death. Take your time, use a title company and have an attorney review any papers. See selling inherited land and selling land in probate.

Absentee owners. Owners who live far away are the best targets for seller impersonation fraud, because no one sees the land. Recording alerts and current contact information matter most for you.

Agricultural land. Fraudsters may claim they will keep the land in ag use to justify a low price or a strange contract. Ask who pays any rollback tax and see rollback taxes explained.

Land with back taxes or liens. Scammers promise to “take care of” taxes for a fee. Real payoffs come from the sale price at closing. See selling land with back taxes and selling land with a mortgage or lien.

Lots and small tracts. Cheap lots in old subdivisions are often used for impersonation fraud. Watch for recordings under your name.

What documents should you keep and review?

• Your deed and tax statements. Keep copies in a safe place.
• The written offer and the contract. Read every page, including the small print.
• The title commitment. It shows what the title company found.
• The closing statement. Review every line before you sign.
• Wire instructions. Confirm by phone and keep a note of who you spoke to.
• Any option or assignment clause. Ask an attorney to explain it to you in plain English.

Take photos or scans of everything. If something goes wrong, records help.

What should you ask an attorney, a title company and a buyer?

Ask a Texas attorney:

• Does this contract include an option, assignment right or exclusive period that could lock up my land?
• What happens if the buyer does not close?
• Is the deed I am asked to sign what the buyer says it is?

Ask the title company:

• Who is holding the earnest money?
• Can you send me the wire instructions on your letterhead and let me confirm by phone?
• What identity checks do you require from a seller of vacant land?

Ask the buyer:

• Who are you, and which company will close?
• Will you put everything in writing?
• Are you comfortable with my attorney reviewing it?

What mistakes make scams succeed?

• Acting before thinking. Pressure works because it stops you from checking.
• Trusting a number or logo. Anyone can copy a logo. Verify independently.
• Using the contact details in an email. Look them up yourself.
• Keeping quiet out of embarrassment. Tell your bank, attorney and title company quickly.
• Signing before reading. Ask for time.
• Posting details online. Parcel numbers and deed images help impersonators.

For more on comparing options safely, see cash buyer versus listing versus auction and how cash offers are calculated. If you want to check an offer you received, our FAQ and contact page are open to questions, and you can read how it works to see what a straightforward process looks like.

By the Sell My Texas Estate team · Updated October 2026. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Talk with a licensed Texas attorney or CPA about your situation.