Miami Property Scammers, Part 2

The Perfect Scam

AARP

True Crime, Aarp, Fraud, Society & Culture, Scam, Crime, Bobsullivan

4.5 • 980 Ratings

🗓️ 10 December 2021

⏱️ 25 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When Shirley Gibson learns that her property in Miami’s historic West Grove neighborhood has been sold by someone using a forged deed, she is determined to fight. Working together with journalist Phil Prazen and lawyer David Winker, they uncover an elaborate real estate scam targeting dozens of elderly property owners in this historically Black neighborhood. Law enforcement is soon on the trail of the criminals, but will Shirley get her land back?

Transcript

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0:00.0	This week on the perfect scam.
0:03.0	Well, it's prime property and if I don't want to sell it, then they'll try to take it and that's what they did.
0:10.0	That's what stood out to me. It's just like nobody ever checked
0:14.6	if this was a real person.
0:18.4	Welcome back to the perfect scam.
0:20.0	I'm your host Bob Sullivan.
0:22.3	This is part two of our story about a crazy
0:25.4	outlandish rash of thefts in Miami Florida. Thefts of property sold right out from
0:31.7	under their victims who never even know their lots have been
0:34.9	put up for sale. If you haven't heard part one, you should go listen to that now.
0:40.9	But to catch you up, retired librarian Shirley Gibson tried to pay her taxes and was told
0:46.2	they'd already been paid by the new owner. As Shirley and her lawyer friend David Winker try to figure out what's going on
0:56.1	and how to get her property back, she discovers another lot she owns is currently up for sale.
1:02.0	They've just contacted local journalist Phil Prazin
1:06.0	who has been talking to police about this rash of mysterious crimes and now
1:11.2	Phil is taking Shirley's story public.
1:14.0	This week when she went to pay her taxes on it, she discovered the lot was no longer in her name.
1:19.0	A New York developer, Ollie Development LLC, bought the lot for $230,000.
1:26.0	It was never for sale, she says, and she contacted a lawyer.
1:30.4	Together Phil, Shirley and David are trying to put all the pieces together.
1:35.0	Why are residents of Shirley Gibson's neighborhood, Coconut Grove, just south of Miami, being targeted?
1:41.0	Well, Shirley will tell you the answer is pretty straightforward.
	...

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