black realtors
{{Short description|Real estate fraudster in Russia}}
{{expand Russian|date=June 2024}}
Black realtors ({{langx|ru|чёрные риелторы}}) are real estate fraudsters in Russia and Belarus.Andrew E. Kramer [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/25/business/moscow-russia-real-estate.html Selling Real Estate in Russia? Are You Crazy?], Dec. 25, 2018[https://rtvi.com/news/v-belarusi-kaznili-dvoikh-chernykh-rieltorov-kotorykh-osudili-za-ubiystvo-shesti-chelovek/ В Беларуси казнили двоих «черных риэлторов», которых осудили за убийство шести человек], November 28, 2018
Types of fraud
In a common scheme, an agent colludes with a property owner, after the sale they appeal to a corrupt judge to invalidate the sale due to temporary insanity, and the buyer loses the money. The buyer may sue, but usually unsuccessfully. As a defense against this type of fraud, In Moscow the condition was introduced for the seller to get a certificate of the absence of mental illness.
Another type of fraud involves builders who pre-sale unfinished buildings and a discount and then declare bankruptcy.
Some black realtors look for old, lonely, or alcoholic sellers, defraud them, and if the victims protest, kill them.[https://www.gazeta.ru/news/lenta/2009/12/30/n_1441094.shtml В Бурятии осуждены «черные риэлторы», убивавшие владельцев квартир]
Notable cases
- Ihar Hershankou, Belarus; sentenced to death and executed in 2018