--- title: Basic Ways to Avoid Getting Scammed on a Commercial Property description: If you're in search of your next commercial property, make sure you safeguard against any potential scams using these simple tips. image: https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/Commercial_property.jpg --- - [Pay Rent](https://sdnyrealty.com/pay-rent/) - [Forms](https://sdnyrealty.com/forms/) -   [![S&D Commercial Real Estate Agency](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/hs-fs/hubfs/S__D_Real_Estate_January2019/images/sd-original-logo_300px.png?width=300&height=194&name=sd-original-logo_300px.png "S&D Commercial Real Estate Agency")](https://sdnyrealty.com/) - [About](https://sdnyrealty.com/long-island-commercial-real-estate-firm/) - [Agents](https://sdnyrealty.com/long-island-real-estate-agents/) - [Listings](https://sdnyrealty.com/property-listings/) - [Property Management](https://sdnyrealty.com/property-management-company/) - [Resources](https://sdnyrealty.com/real-estate-resources/) - [Neighborhood Guide](https://sdnyrealty.com/neighborhood-guide/) - [Long Island](https://sdnyrealty.com/long-island-commercial-real-estate/) - [Nassau County](https://sdnyrealty.com/nassau-county-commercial-real-estate/) - [Bethpage](https://sdnyrealty.com/bethpage-commercial-real-estate/) - [Farmingdale](https://sdnyrealty.com/farmingdale-commercial-real-estate/) - [Franklin Square](https://sdnyrealty.com/franklin-square-commercial-real-estate/) - [Garden City](https://sdnyrealty.com/garden-city-commercial-real-estate/) - [Glen Cove](https://sdnyrealty.com/glen-cove-commercial-real-estate/) - [Hempstead](https://sdnyrealty.com/hempstead-commercial-real-estate/) - [Hicksville](https://sdnyrealty.com/hicksville-commercial-real-estate/) - [Long Beach](https://sdnyrealty.com/long-beach-commercial-real-estate/) - [Mineola](https://sdnyrealty.com/mineola-commercial-real-estate/) - [Rockville Centre](https://sdnyrealty.com/rockville-centre-commercial-real-estate/) - [Suffolk County](https://sdnyrealty.com/suffolk-county-commercial-real-estate/) - [Babylon](https://sdnyrealty.com/suffolk-county-commercial-real-estate/babylon-commercial-real-estate/) - [Brookhaven](https://sdnyrealty.com/brookhaven-commercial-real-estate/) - [Hauppauge](https://sdnyrealty.com/hauppauge-commercial-real-estate/) - [Huntington](https://sdnyrealty.com/huntington-commercial-real-estate/) - [Islip](https://sdnyrealty.com/islip-commercial-real-estate/) - [Melville](https://sdnyrealty.com/melville-commercial-real-estate/) - [Riverhead](https://sdnyrealty.com/riverhead-commercial-real-estate/) - [Smithtown](https://sdnyrealty.com/smithtown-commercial-real-estate/) - [Southampton](https://sdnyrealty.com/southampton-commercial-real-estate/) - [Consulting Services](https://sdnyrealty.com/consulting-services/) - [Property Appraisal Services](https://sdnyrealty.com/property-appraisal/) - [Zoning Regulations](https://sdnyrealty.com/zoning-regulations/) - [Forms](https://sdnyrealty.com/forms/) - [Veterans & Military Housing](https://sdnyrealty.com/veterans-military-housing/) - [Join our Program](https://sdnyrealty.com/veterans-military-housing/#apply-now) - [Forms & Applications](https://sdnyrealty.com/forms/) - [Pay Rent](https://sdnyrealty.com/pay-rent/) - [Blog](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog) - [Contact](https://sdnyrealty.com/contact/) # Basic Ways to Avoid Getting Scammed on a Commercial Property - October 06, 2016 - [commercial property](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/commercial-property), [commercial real estate](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/commercial-real-estate), [scams](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/scams) - 0 ![Basic Ways to Avoid Getting Scammed on a Commercial Property](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/Commercial_property.jpg) If your company is [in the market for a new office](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/why-the-town-of-mineola-is-the-perfect-place-for-your-business), you need to be extremely vigilant in watching out for sham properties. Unfortunately, frauds and scams are still as prevalent as ever in the real estate industry. Some of these schemes have become so advanced that it’s hard to even tell you’re being conned. Use some of these tips for handling and weeding out all of the bogus commercial property deals out there. ## Your Guide to Combatting Commercial Property Scams ### Red Flags to Look Out For While it’s true that cons peddling these [fraudulent units](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/realestate/is-this-listing-real-or-just-a-ghost.html?_r=0) have improved their methods, there are still some low-level scammers just looking for a quick buck with no idea what they’re doing. ![Commercial_property](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/Commercial_property1.jpg?width=450&name=Commercial_property1.jpg "Commercial_property") These people tend to use tactics that can be easily-attributed to fraud. Here are some giveaways that you can easily sniff out: - **No one is able to meet with you in person.** If a seller isn’t willing to put a face to their business, there’s probably a reason why. - **They only receive funds through a wire transfer.** When a seller solely accepts payment through wire transfer, there’s a good chance they aren’t the real seller or landlord. Most [real estate deals](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/how-to-win-your-next-real-estate-negotiation) happen in-person. - **They request money up-front or too early on.** There’s usually a lengthy showing and courting process in any real estate deal. If it seems like it’s a little soon to send money, then you may want to reconsider moving forward with the transaction. - **The property you’re shown is different from the one advertised online.** If you decide to see a property that you found online, you are expecting to see that specific property. When a seller engages in false advertisement, there’s a good chance there’s some deceit going on. - **Do your research!** Everything is on the internet nowadays. Head to Google and you can access just about anything. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of this invaluable resource. Often, you can just look up the facts about the seller, property or lack thereof. With a little bit of homework, you should be able to determine if the property is legit. ![Commercial_property](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/Commercial_property2.jpg?width=450&name=Commercial_property2.jpg "Commercial_property") One last thing: if a commercial property seems a little too good to be true, it probably is. Scammers tend to list properties under the market average just to trick some consumers into thinking they’re getting a good deal. Just think, if that unit was such an incredible value, it probably wouldn’t still be on the market. ### Financial Traps Occasionally, buying or renting a commercial property may come along with a whole set of fraudulent money schemes. For instance, [forged documents](https://www.deeds.com/deed-fraud/) are one of the most widely-practiced real estate scams. You may sign off on a money exchange or provide your personal information on an illegitimate document. Make sure that anything you sign or approve of is first reviewed by a lawyer. They’ll be able to detect any inconsistencies. ![Commercial_property](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/Commercial_property3.jpg?width=450&name=Commercial_property3.jpg "Commercial_property") If a seller tells you that they’ll work on your behalf in obtaining a loan to help facilitate your purchase, they’re probably running a scam. When an individual is unqualified for a loan, there’s a reason for it. Usually, when a seller is aggressive in securing your loan, they’re just trying to land your business and help afford their mortgage. Always handle your own finances. A fraudulent deal may end up drowning your company if you aren’t careful. Using this advice, go on your way in looking for a lawfully and financially-sound [commercial property](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/finding-the-right-commercial-real-estate-for-your-business). [![View Available Listings Here](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/432922/9ad65918-b9a7-437a-8872-09c1d59299de.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/432922/9ad65918-b9a7-437a-8872-09c1d59299de) ### Tags: - [commercial property](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/commercial-property) - [commercial real estate](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/commercial-real-estate) - [scams](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/scams) ### [Previous post](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/how-to-win-your-next-real-estate-negotiation) #### [How to Win Your Next Real Estate Negotiation](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/how-to-win-your-next-real-estate-negotiation) ### [Next post](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/10-not-so-costly-improvements-to-increase-your-home-value) #### [10 Not-So-Costly Improvements to Increase your Home Value](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/10-not-so-costly-improvements-to-increase-your-home-value) ### Related posts [![A Shared Office Space for Business: The Top Pros and Cons](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/Shared%20Office%20Space.jpg?width=768&name=Shared%20Office%20Space.jpg)](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/shared-office-space) - September 12, 2018 - [commercial property](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/commercial-property), [office space](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/office-space), [commercial real estate trends](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/commercial-real-estate-trends) ### A Shared Office Space for Business: The Top Pros and Cons Recently, co-working has become a popular trend for small businesses throughout the world, especially in America. Essentially, instead of working... [Continue reading](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/shared-office-space) [![Why a Commercial Real Estate Agent is Always Necessary](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/commercial%20real%20estate%20agent.jpg?width=768&name=commercial%20real%20estate%20agent.jpg)](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/commercial-real-estate-agent) - June 06, 2018 - [commercial real estate](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/commercial-real-estate), [real estate agent](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/real-estate-agent) ### Why a Commercial Real Estate Agent is Always Necessary As a business owner, navigating the world of commercial real estate is hard to manage if you don’t have any experience in the field. That’s why, if... [Continue reading](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/commercial-real-estate-agent) [![Green Technology to Reduce Energy Consumption in the Office](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/Green%20Technology.jpg?width=768&name=Green%20Technology.jpg)](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/green-technology) - March 14, 2018 - [office](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/office), [commercial property](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/commercial-property), [green building](https://blog.sdnyrealty.com/blog/topic/green-building) ### Green Technology to Reduce Energy Consumption in the Office Now more than ever, there is a focus on “going green” in the corporate world. Companies across the nation are paying close attention to their energy... 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