Do Not Be Fooled By A Scammer
Have you ever seen a commercial that showed a person laughing hysterically because they just fooled another unsuspecting customer who just sent them money for a service they will never receive to a scammer who is pretending to be offering a real service?
The tiny house industry is now flourishing with absolute scammers. They are pretending to be legitimate builders, even using their name, and address, and photos. This is especially flourishing in the internet in Facebook groups.
Are you getting the nagging feeling that the tiny house builder you have been speaking to through texting, Facebook messaging, or other methods might not really be a real builder at all and you are becoming curious about their real identity? For all you know they could be an alligator farmer in Florida, or in a phone boiler room overseas, or just your average scammer using a lap top on the beach, drinking margaritas looking for an easy target to scam.
Red Flags To Be Aware Of
- Offers Too Good To Be True
- Very Low Prices
- Rent To Own ( There Are Some Real Offers-But You Must Do Your Research)
- They Are Using Other Builder’s Photos
- They Make Statements Like No Permits Needed
- They Say DM On Facebook-Why Not Send You To Their Website
- But There Are Even Fake Websites -More Research Is Needed
- Their Profile Is Often New But They State They Have Built For Years
- They Will Not Use Pay Pal As A Payment Method
- You Cannot Verify Their Building Facility
- They Put You Off To Visit The Building Facility
- The Wire Transfer Information Does Not Match Their Name Or Building Facility Address
- The ‘So Called Builder’ Receives Your Down Payment And You Cannot Get Photos, The Timeline Keeps Being Extended, And They Ask You For Even More Money
- They Have American Names, But Their Accents Do Not Match The Name
Find The True Source Of An Image
Legitimate Builders You Can Trust Have No Need To Use The Photos Of Other Builders.
If they are displaying a photo of themself, photos of the tiny house, or trailer. You can find the original source of who the person is, and the true builder of the tiny home.
Using Google Images To Find A Photo's Original Source
- The first step is to open up Google Images.
- Next, click on the camera icon in the search bar.
- Then, upload the image file in question by clicking ‘Upload an Image’ or by dragging and dropping the file from the correct folder.
- At this point, Google Images will show you all of the results for webpages with that image and you should click on ‘All Sizes’.
- Here, you’ll see all the examples of this image being used on the internet if it has been used multiple times. It also shows the date each version was uploaded, helping you to track down the original.
Tips On How NOT To Be Scammed
- Verify, Verify, Verify
- Know Without A Doubt Who You Are Speaking To
- Ask For References And Check Them Out From Past Clients
- Do You See A Trailer, And Notice The Manufacturer’s Name On A Photo? Contact The Trailer Manufacturer And Make Sure They Are Actually Doing Business With The Trailer Manufacturer
- Don’t Depend Only On Reviews From The BBB Or Yelp. When There Are Issues, There Is Often Money That Is Paid Out In Trade For Not Publishing A Bad Review
- Only Use Payment Methods That Are Protected From Fraud After You Verify, Verify, Verify
- Use Bank Wire Transfers And Zelle As Payment Methods Only After You Verify, Verify, Verify
Scammers pressure you to wire money to them because it’s easy to take your money and disappear. Wiring money is like sending cash — once it’s gone, you probably can’t get it back. Never wire money to a stranger — no matter the reason they give.
How To Choose A Legitimate Tiny Home Builder
Attorney Jenifer Levini is a great resource in the tiny house industry that is contributing to the legitimacy of the tiny house industry.
Jenifer Levini
Jenifer Levini has been deeply concerned about the housing shortage that has resulted in increased homelessness and the loss of housing mobility, especially in California. She believes that tiny homes are, or can be, a large part of the solution. She began working towards increasing the housing supply in 2013. Frustrated with the many laws that made it impossible to create housing supply she wrote her first book in 2018 (published in 2019) to educate everyone about the draconian laws that made it difficult or impossible to build housing in California. At that time California was the leader in the US in defining a new type of housing called “tiny homes.” “Building, Occupying and Selling Tiny Homes Legally” introduced the world to the path to making tiny homes legal as primary and accessory dwellings. Based on her book, dozens of jurisdictions began changing their laws to make tiny homes legal across the US, and Canada over the last 3 years.
In 2022, another problem was plaguing the burgeoning tiny home industry – scofflaw tiny home builders who were stealing money from trusting tiny home buyers, then not delivering any home, or delivering unsafe and illegal homes.
To protect potential buyers from unsafe builders, she explained how to differentiate good and bad, safe and dangerous homes and how contracts work, among other information they need in “Tiny Home Buyers’ Guide,” available on Amazon as an e-book or paperback. To help the builders understand the laws they must follow in all 50 states, she wrote “Tiny Home Builders’ Legal Handbook,” also available on Amazon.
