They were conned out of their dream beach home, lawsuit says. These are common SC scams
A North Carolina couple spent years saving before finally being ready to fulfill their dream of owning a family vacation home in North Myrtle Beach.
But that dream quickly turned to a nightmare when they were tricked into sending the money meant for that home purchase to a fraudulent bank account, according to a recent lawsuit filed in Horry County.
Jeremy and Kandice Pedley contracted last November to buy a condo in a gated North Myrtle Beach community for $380,000, but an unknown third party hacked their real estate agent’s emails, the lawsuit states. That third party then impersonated real estate attorneys instructing the couple to wire their closing costs to a bank account in Rock Hill.
Because the email contained the exact closing fees — $86,183.81 — the Pedleys believed the instructions were legitimate and wired the money, according to the suit.
They’ve since been able to recover about $36,000, but the rest is gone, along with their ability to purchase the condo, which has “substantially” increased in value since late 2021, they allege.
Attorney Dave Maxfield, who is representing the Pedleys in the lawsuit, told The Sun News that these types of scams involving wire transfers are unfortunately fairly common. He suggested banks need to do a better job stopping fraudulent accounts from being used, and real estate agents and attorneys need to stress the details of the closing process with clients to help prevent these issues from continuing to happen.
Consumers should also double and triple check with agents and attorneys before ever wiring large amounts of money, Maxfield added. Here are some other common scams that S.C. residents should be aware of, according to the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs:
Fake rental listings
Scammers are known the either “hijack” actual rental listings or make up listings for places that don’t even exist, the department notes on its website. They’ll copy a rental listing from one site and place it on another, potentially hacking the email accounts of the actual property owners.
“They try to lure you in with the promise of low rent, immediate availability or great amenities,” the department writes. “Their goal is to get your money and/or information before you find out.”
Potential red flags associated with these types of scams include: the landlord asking you to wire money, wanting some sort of deposit before meeting or signing a lease, finding the same listing under another name, and the landlord saying that they’re out of town, or even the country.
Lottery and sweepstakes scams
Numerous South Carolina residents have reported to the department in recent months they’ve received calls, emails or text messages that say they’ve won thousands of dollars or other prizes, only to find out it was a scam.
Consumer Affairs warns that scammers will often require you to pay some sort of fee or tax to receive your supposed winnings, and they’ll pressure you to “act now” to claim your prize.
Fake debt collectors
Fraudsters also frequently impersonate representatives of state or federal agencies, including law enforcement, and try to get people to pay off debt that they owe, according to the department.
They typically will ask their target to pay a fraction of what they owe immediately to have their debt forgiven, and they often seem more legitimate because they know personal information about you. A red flag in these types of scams include a threat of arrest if you don’t pay.
The department advises consumers never to give people you don’t know your credit card or banking information and ask for a letter from any purported debt collector, because federal law requires they send you a letter about your debt.
If you’re the victim of a scam in South Carolina or believe someone has attempted to scam you, you can report it to the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs on their website or by calling 1-844-835-5322.
