A couple revisited a piece of property they had bought in 1991 only to discover that a house had been erected on it without their awareness or approval.
Omar and Halla Jaraki acquired the land in Concord with a value of $1 million in 1991, intending to construct a retirement home there.
However, upon returning, they faced an unexpected situation.
In August, while visiting the town to collect their annual tax bill, they were shocked to learn that their property had been sold for roughly half its actual value.
It was then that the alarmed couple realized they had fallen victim to a fraudulent scheme.
Someone had impersonated them, putting their land up ‘for sale’ and deceiving an unsuspecting buyer into purchasing it.
Speaking with CBS, cardiologist Omar stated: “They stole our dream. They stole our property. They took a mortgage on it. They’re building a house on it.”
The couple proceeded to file a lawsuit for fraud, alleging that a scammer had utilized a fake driver’s license, passport, and an email address to execute the scam.
This scam involved deceiving a real estate agent and two attorneys into listing the property ‘for sale’.
The parcel was purportedly advertised as ‘a great opportunity to build your dream home in the ultra-exclusive, sought after and prestigious Mattison Farm neighborhood. One of the only remaining lots and nestled on a 1.84-acre parcel. Close proximity to Concord & Nashawtuc Country Club’.
Regrettably, a buyer took the bait, purchasing the plot advertised at $699,900, well below its $1 million market value.
The unsuspecting buyer then constructed a house on the property.
Richard Vetstein, the attorney representing the couple, remarked: “The minute I saw this deed, I knew it was a forgery. You just can tell by looking at it. Just the handwriting, it looks off. There were so many other red flags.
“A quick half a million for a counterfeit driver’s license and passport and sending a couple of emails. That’s a day’s work.”
One noticeable red flag was that the photos on the fake passport and driver’s license matched.
Vetstein explained: “That’s not possible because license photos are taken at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The woman in the fake ID’s looks nothing like Halla Jaraki.
“This is a disaster. It’s not only for us but for other people like it’s going to happen to them.”
He further added: “They’re definitely going to get their property back. I think the only question is, what do we do about the house?”