I Said No To A Client! (This may help newer inspectors)

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I had the same contact. They actually picked a listing in my area that was active. Nothing about it smelled right. I contacted the listing agent and found there was no inspection contingency on the contract. Surprise! Not.
Way too many red flags there

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These scams all have the same elements - text only, check for more than the amount with the overpayment to be made to someone else and absent buyer. Get an address, talk to the listing agent or ask for the seller’s info. You’ll never hear back unless it’s legit (which 99.99% of the time it’s not). I said this in yesterday’s scam thread (yes, there’s about 1/day lately) - I feel really sorry for the unsuspecting legit millennial that texts for an inspection and gets absolutely blasted by the inspector on the other end :slight_smile:

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I respond to these scammers’ texts (they ALWAYS text) because there will one day be a legitimate customer on the other end of one of these requests (just like I answer all my calls even the ones that say “Scam Likely” and I have had legitimate customers calling). It takes me a couple minutes to send the quote and I add the forms of payments I accept (conveniently leaving out checks as an option). If/when the scammer mentions anything about a check, I kindly reply “I do not accept certified checks due to scam protection”. That’s usually the end of the conversation. The texts almost always begin with “I will like to know if you are available to pre-inspect a new house I am interested in purchasing which I am already in contact with the seller”. “Will like” and “pre-inspect” are red flags for me. I hope nobody else gets scammed - good luck all.

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I defiantly agree with this….As this does show up two or three times a month on this board from new inspectors… Just as my Bank sends out scam warnings periodically warning of this, InterNACHI should to, as I’m sure The Scammers are getting OUR contact info from the InterNACHI site (insptorseek).

I don’t like to see anyone taken advantage of. Apparently these scams do pay off for the scammers so there is a problem out there that needs to be addressed!

Well I D-E-F-I-A-N-T-L-Y think Internachi should solve the problem with Privacy on their sites instead of wasting money on stoopid shit that nobody will read except for the 46 regular visitors to this MB!! Internachi created the problem here, they need to solve it. If they insist on doing the education thing, they should make it MANDATORY to participate in the Christmas Party Giveaway… the ONLY time that non-MB users ever show up for any reason!

I guess the only thing they could do differently is to create an audiobook and read it to you.

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If you post your contact information for other consumers to find you when using the NACHI “find an inspector” search feature, then the scammers can find you as well. They can also comb our websites for contact information with simple Google searches.

I guess the question is, can an inspector remove themselves from the NACHI search feature? And do you really want to do this?

Also, I receive all types of scam messages, phone calls etc. that are not related to the inspection business. Apparently, we are not hard to find as a business or a person.

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Yes!! I’m an inspector and as far as I know, I don’t show up. :neutral_face:

The scammers still find me.

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Little b*stards! :smile:

If your profile is hidden, then I am curious how hidden it is. I really do not know. But, when I stop and think of all the places I have entered my name and # for inspection related business, I would not be surprised if someone is passing my info around like a $5 hooker.

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Are you a member?

Wouldn’t make much difference.

Haven’t you noticed this ‘problem’ had multiplied exponentially when Internachi introduced the ‘Monthly Subscription’ option for membership? Now, a scammer, hacker, other nefarious entity can LEGALLY mine for member data as a member for $49/month versus paying out $500/lump sum! In effect, Internachi has ‘sold’ the door key(s) to it’s membership info!!

Still think a poorly written ‘course’ is gonna do anything?

Bah-Humbug!!

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DUH!!

https://www.google.com/search?q=Rich+Bleich-+inspector-+Internachi&ei=N9aIY7bvBcKkptQPy9uyyAQ&ved=0ahUKEwj25qi169j7AhVCkokEHcutDEkQ4dUDCBE&uact=5&oq=Rich+Bleich-+inspector-+Internachi&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzIFCCEQoAEyBQghEKABOgoIABCABBCwAxAKOggIABCGAxCwAzoICAAQFhAeEAo6BggAEBYQHjoFCAAQhgM6BQghEKsCSgQIQRgBSgQIRhgAUIwKWK5HYPdoaAFwAHgAgAHAAYgBwRaSAQQwLjIzmAEAoAEByAEFwAEB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

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I didn’t say I wasn’t findable, I said I’m not listed on theNachi “find an inspector”.

It’s getting spread like a free hooker. I found your address 1601, your phone ending in 4199 and a potential wife’s name starting with L in less than two minutes.

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Up until recently I received multiple phone calls a day starting out like this (in broken English) “Hello Brian, would you like to consider an all cash offer for your property located at…”

So, not only did they have my home address, they had my cell phone number. This happened when I switched to Verizon, they sold me.

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That’s the point. It’s possible to reach 100% of the new CPIs through the curriculum.
You can’t fix stupid, and you can’t prevent the scam from being tried in the first place. But you can harden the target.

The 46 MB regulars don’t need this.

I haven’t completed the course yet but, I like that idea!!

“Any amount above the mentioned payment for services shall be considered bonus for my excellent services!!!”

I’m adding that to my contracts! Lmaoooo

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Jonathon, You are an obvious (I know, big Boomer words) mark, chump, dupe, patsy, sucker, sap. You use online banking because you think it’s convenient. Well, yes it is, for the scammers and hackers.

It is amazing how many people think they are tech savy because they can use something that molds them into being the end product. The service they are using, even if paid for, is not the product. YOU are the product being sold. The Nigerian scammer is the lesser of the evil, so to speak, compared to a Wall St. Bankster.

Note the aspects of the scammers behavior, that pattern replicates itself. Arrogance, impulsiveness, anger and above all Greed are signs - in your self as well as someone else.

If you have not taken the time to learn the home buying process, and can not make a simple phone call, or internet check, then perhaps you are better off being an employee, at least for the short to mid term future.

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I’ve had a few scammers reach out by text. It was my first encounter with this as well. I reached out to the relator because when I looked online, the home was not listed for sale. The relator said they never heard of the client’s name. I got 2 checks in the mail. One for the inspection and one for mold that they wanted me to pay the mold inspector for. I took the checks to my bank and they said it was suspicious and not to cash the checks. I ended up telling the client that I didn’t get the check and they sent more. I played around with them through the text and ultimately they stopped responding. Don’t be afraid to probe!
A new start up is hard and advertising is expensive. Good luck to yo.u

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