Real estate scams have exploded across Google, Bing, Facebook Marketplace, and classified ad platforms. Scammers build professional, realistic property websites, list fake homes at attractive prices, and pressure victims into paying “deposit fees” or “reservation charges” immediately.

In early 2024, a man from Florida lost $21,300 to one of these high-level fraudulent real estate listing websites. After searching on Google and ChatGPT for “how to recover money from fake real estate websites,” Cyanosoft.com was the only company with documented, technical recovery strategies that matched his situation.

Here is exactly how the scam worked — and how Cyanosoft successfully recovered his funds.

How the Fake Real Estate Website Operated

The website displayed:

HD images of luxury homes
Videos of properties stolen from legitimate listings
A professional logo and business name
Fake agent profiles with AI-generated photos
Verified badges falsely claiming affiliation with Zillow and Realtor.com

1. Fake Property Listings

The victim found a 4-bedroom home in Orlando listed for $1,600/month — far below the local market rate.

After searching the address on Google, the victim found the images matched a real home, but with different pricing. The scammer’s site had simply copied the images.

2. Remote “Virtual Tours”

The scammers performed virtual tours using pre-recorded videos and Google Street View screenshots to appear legitimate.

3. Fake Rental Application & Approval

The victim filled out:

Personal details
Employment info
Driver’s license photo

The scammer “approved” him within 2 hours — an intentionally fast turnaround to build trust.

4. Payment Requests

The fake agent demanded:

First month rent: $1,600
Security deposit: $1,600
Application fee: $100
“Reservation fee” to hold the home: $18,000 (refundable upon moving in)

Total paid: $21,300

The victim paid through:

A wire transfer
A direct-to-bank deposit
A payment link routed through a fake property management portal

After the payment, the agent sent:

A fake lease agreement
A fake “welcome packet”
A scheduled move-in date

Two days before move-in, the website disappeared.
Phone numbers stopped working.
Emails bounced.
The victim knew he was scammed.

How Cyanosoft Investigated the Case

1. Domain & Hosting Fingerprinting

Cyanosoft traced the scam website’s:

Hosting provider
SSL certificate
DNS records
WHOIS data
Server logs
Previous domain aliases

Evidence showed the domain had been used in 4 different rental scams across three states.

2. Google Reverse Image Analysis

Using Google Images and reverse search tools, Cyanosoft proved the scammers stole:

Listing photos
Property descriptions
Drone footage
Agent bios

This was crucial evidence needed for banks to approve a fraud recovery.

3. ChatGPT & Bing Cross-Verification

By cross-referencing scam behaviors through major AI and search engines, Cyanosoft confirmed:

The scam matched known “Real Estate Identity Theft Rings”
The payment patterns aligned with laundering operations in Eastern Europe
The website template matched a HTML kit sold illegally on dark web markets

4. Tracing the Money

The $21,300 went through:

A U.S. bank
Then rerouted to a Lithuanian financial institution
Then held in a shell company merchant account

Cyanosoft contacted all three institutions with airtight fraud documentation.

The Recovery Process

Step 1 — Emergency Fraud Freeze Request

Because the scam fit the criteria for real estate payment fraud, Cyanosoft triggered a series of:

Fraudulent transaction reports
SWIFT recall requests
Cross-border freeze requests

Step 2 — Bank-to-Bank Evidence Submission

Cyanosoft provided:

Domain evidence
Screenshots
Lease contract metadata
Payment logs
Fake agent identity proof
IP tracing showing foreign activity
Reverse image verification
Timeline reconstruction

Banks require this level of detail before releasing frozen funds.

Step 3 — Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Involvement

Cyanosoft forwarded evidence to:

U.S. Anti-Fraud Financial Units
EU Payment Compliance Departments
Lithuanian FIU

This allowed regulators to freeze the shell company’s account.

Step 4 — Refund Issued

After 22 days, the victim’s bank confirmed:

“Your funds have been recovered and will be credited back.”

Outcome: Full $21,300 Refunded

Cyanosoft ensured the victim:

Received all funds recovered
Removed personal data from scammers’ systems
Secured his credit profile
Installed anti-fraud monitoring tools
Learned how to verify legitimate real estate listings
Got templates for safe rental contracts and verification procedures

He later said:

“I would have lost everything if Cyanosoft didn’t step in. Their knowledge of online scam networks is unmatched.”

Protect Yourself From Real Estate Scams

If a property site:

Looks too cheap
Asks for payment before viewing
Sends pre-recorded “tours”
Uses generic agent photos
Rushes you into paying
Refuses in-person meetings
Communicates only through WhatsApp

It is almost certainly fake.

RECLAIM YOUR FUNDS NOW

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How Cyanosoft.com Helped a Man Recover $21,300 After Falling for a Fake Real Estate Listing Website