Phone scammers trick victims into selling property, police warn

Phone scammers are persuading people to sell their real estate before stealing the proceeds, Vilnius County Police said Thursday, according to LRT.

Since the beginning of 2025, authorities in Lithuania have opened 17 pre-trial investigations into cases involving the fraudulent acquisition of very high-value property. Ten investigations are being conducted in the area overseen by the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office, six in the area overseen by the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office and one in the area overseen by the Panevėžys Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

Investigators say scammers use false information and psychological pressure to persuade residents to sell their property quickly. They pose by phone as representatives of various institutions or organisations and claim that the victim’s property has already been sold or is being sold on the “black market”. The scammers tell victims that the only way to save the property is to sell it themselves as soon as possible.

People who believe the false story sell their real estate hastily, often for considerably less than its market value.

Victims are then persuaded to withdraw the proceeds in cash or use the money to buy gold bars. The cash or gold is later handed over to people identified by the scammers.

Authorities are assessing whether real estate brokers, notaries or property buyers may have been involved in some cases.

The prosecutor’s office and police are urging property buyers, intermediaries and notaries to watch for possible warning signs. These include an older client rushing to sell their only home, agreeing to a clearly below-market price, being unable to explain the decision clearly, saying they plan to move abroad, appearing confused, speaking constantly by phone with unknown people or claiming to be following instructions from a bank, police or another institution.

Police say older people are the most common victims of these scams. Some are Russian speakers, and officials recommend spending more time with such clients to establish that the decision to sell the property is being made independently and without pressure from scammers.

Police urged residents to remain vigilant and critically assess calls demanding urgent decisions about property sales or other financial transactions. No state institution will demand by phone that people urgently sell property or hand over money, gold or other valuables.