A vacant block of land in Yanchep has become the subject of a coordinated property fraud scheme, with a scammer masquerading as the owner in an attempt to sell the property. Ten settlement agents in Western Australia are understood to have received identical emails from the same sender, all claiming to be the owner of the Yanchep property.
Scam Details
The scammer told the agents they were overseas and requested a change of name on the land title, along with assistance to sell the block for approximately $900,000. The correspondence further requested information on how identity checks were carried out, particularly whether a consulate appointment would be required, in what is believed to have been a tactic to scope out an unsuspecting agent.
Warning Issued
Consumer Protection has now issued a warning to the real estate and conveyancing sectors to be on high alert after the attempted scam. Commissioner of Consumer Protection Owen Kelly is urging real estate and settlement agents to take identity verification requirements seriously.
"Scams within the property industry are becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to spot, which is why vigilance from agents is so important," Dr Kelly said. "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."
Preventive Measures
The Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety's Consumer Protection division strongly advises agents to meet the seller in person and, if this cannot occur, to use a face or document verification service. If the seller is overseas, it recommends using an Australian embassy office. The WA settlement agents were commended for their diligence in identifying the scam.
WA Attorney-General and Minister for Commerce Tony Buti said it was fortunate the scam was detected early, adding that otherwise there would have been "much heartache and stress for everyone involved."
"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," Dr Buti 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."
Financial Impact
According to the WA ScamNet report, scammers stole more than $24 million from West Australians in 2025, with overall financial losses down 12 per cent on 2024.
