Couple Returns Home To Their $1 Million Property And Finds Someone Built A House On It

A couple returned to a piece of land they had bought back in 1991, only to find out that someone had built a house on it without their knowledge or permission.

Omar and Halla Jaraki had bought the land, valued at $1 million, in Concord with the idea that they would one day build their dream home on it, a place where they could retire.

However, they ran into an unexpected problem when they came back to the land after all these years.

In August, they went to the town to collect their annual tax bill, only to be informed that the land had been sold for about half of what it was actually worth.

It was at that moment the shocked couple realized they had been the victims of a scam.

Someone had impersonated them and fraudulently put their land 'up for sale' so that an unsuspecting buyer would purchase it, completely unaware of the con.

Speaking to CBS, Omar, a cardiologist, said: "They stole our dream. They stole our property. They took a mortgage on it. They're building a house on it."

The couple went on to file a fraud lawsuit, claiming that the scammer had used a fake driver’s license, passport, and even a forged email address to carry out the elaborate scam.

This con tricked a real estate agent and two attorneys into putting the property 'up for sale' without the Jarakis having any idea about it.

The couple found that someone had built a house on their land CBS

The plot was reportedly advertised as 'a great opportunity to build your dream home in the ultra-exclusive, sought after and prestigious Mattison Farm neighborhood. One of the only remaining lots and nestled on a 1.84 acre parcel. Close proximity to Concord & Nashawtuc Country Club.'

Sadly, someone did end up purchasing the lot, which had been advertised well below its true value, at $699,900, far less than its $1 million worth.

The buyer, unaware of the fraud, even went on to build a house on the land.

Richard Vetstein, the attorney representing the couple, stated: "The minute I saw this deed, I knew it was a forgery. You just can tell by looking at it. Just the handwriting, it looks off. There were so many other red flags."

He explained how simple it was for the scammer, saying: "A quick half a million for a counterfeit driver's license and passport and sending a couple of emails. That's a day's work."

One of the major red flags was that the same photo had been used for both the fake passport and the driver’s license.

The house had been erected on their land CBS

Vetstein continued: "That's not possible because license photos are taken at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The woman in the fake ID's looks nothing like Halla Jaraki."

He added: "This is a disaster. It's not only for us but for other people like it's going to happen to them."

Despite the nightmare situation, he remained confident, saying: "They're definitely going to get their property back. I think the only question is, what do we do about the house?"