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Western Australia property industry professionals have been placed on high alert following a new wave of scams in which fraudsters attempt to sell vacant land they do not own.
The warnings were issued last week (31 May) by Dr Tony Buti, Western Australian Minister for Commercial, Industrial Relations, International Education, and Multicultural Interests, after settlement agents thwarted an attempt by scammers to sell vacant land they did not own.
According to Buti’s release, a scammer had emailed multiple settlement agents pretending to own a vacant block in Yanchep, claiming to be overseas and asking for help changing the land title and selling the property for about $900,000.
The scam raised suspicions because the sender asked questions about identity checks and whether they could verify themselves online instead of in person.
As a result, the settlement agents involved became alert and followed official advice, which recommends meeting property sellers in person or using verified identity checks if the seller is overseas.
Buti said there would have been much heartache and stress for everyone involved had the scam not been caught in time.
“I applaud the Australian Institute of Conveyancers WA and the settlement agents for their swift action in recognising the scam and alerting authorities. It clearly demonstrates that the checks and balances put in place to prevent property scams are working,” he said.
“However, this is a timely reminder of the importance of real estate and settlement agents to conduct mandatory identity checks, especially if the person they are dealing with is unknown to them and comes from overseas.
“Ultimately, if there is any doubt, they should report their suspicions to the proper authorities and not proceed with the transaction.”
Increasing sophistication
Consumer protection commissioner Dr Owen Kelly said scams in the property industry were becoming increasingly difficult to spot, highlighting the importance of vigilance.
“Thankfully in this case, the settlement agents recognised the warning signs early and took the appropriate steps to prevent what could have been a devastating financial and emotional loss for the legitimate property owner,” he said.
“We urge real estate and settlement agents to always take identity verification requirements seriously. Those who don’t could face prosecution as well as damage to their professional reputation.”
Exploiting weak points in oversight is a scammer’s bread and butter, and Brook Durling, CEO of the Australian Institute of Conveyancers WA, praised the agents involved for their swift action, cutting through the ruse before it could spread.
“These attempts will continue, which is why fraud prevention must be a shared responsibility across the property sector and the wider community,” he added.
“Being alert, asking questions and reporting suspicious activity remains critical.”
Rising threats
Scam activity has come to the fore in 2026, with an increasing number of cases highlighting the dangers involved for those associated with property transactions.
During March, Scamwatch, part of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, warned the industry that fraudsters are posing as financial service providers and loan brokers, setting up fraudulent websites and posting advertisements on social media platforms offering personal loans.
This was followed by new information from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) in April, revealing that scammers are refining their tactics when it comes to impersonating banks, including copying bank hold music and coordinating calls to bypass security checks.
In a separate report, National Australia Bank (NAB) revealed a home buyer narrowly avoided losing $100,000 to a scammer impersonating his solicitor, with a bank worker acting quickly to stop the payment.
At the time, NAB’s group investigations executive and former Australian Federal Police officer Chris Sheehan told customers to watch out for urgent payment requests or sudden changes to bank details, even if they appear to come from trusted organisations..
“Most business email compromise scams succeed not because people are careless, but because the request looks routine and sounds reasonable,” he said.
“A moment of verification, a call, a message, a second check, can stop a significant financial loss.”
[Related: Fake brokers target borrowers in new loan scam alert]
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