One common tactic starts with an enticing, above-market cash offer. In one reported instance, a seller was offered for their home. After the seller committed and the deal was nearly finalized, the buyer claimed to find structural "defects" during a brief inspection and dropped the offer to $320,000 . This high-pressure move relies on the seller being too far along in the process—or having already committed to a new home—to back out. Common Cash-Buyer Scam Stories

Selling a home for cash can be a target for several types of fraud, most notably the and wire fraud . In a typical bait-and-switch, a "cash buyer" makes a high-value offer to lock you into a contract, only to drastically lower the price right before closing by citing "unforeseen" property issues. Alternatively, wire fraud involves hackers impersonating real estate professionals to divert your funds into fraudulent accounts. Real-Life Impact: The $400,000 "Bait-and-Switch"

Scams often follow predictable patterns that target the speed and convenience of cash sales: 5 Cash Home Buying Scams: Red Flags for 2025