Paraíba, Brazil registers about 200 violations against fake real‑estate brokers

In the first half of 2024 the Regional Council of Real Estate Brokers of Paraíba (Creci‑PB) recorded roughly 200 infractions for irregular professional practice across several municipalities. The violations include individuals posing as real‑estate agents, sales of the same property to multiple buyers, and irregular documentation.

According to Creci‑PB’s inspection manager Sérgio Pereira, scammers exploit home‑buyers by offering low down‑payment deals and then demanding an advance payment, often via PIX, before disappearing. He said, “O pessoal se faz passar por corretor e, por meio de anúncios e falsas promessas, conquista a confiança da vítima para aplicar o golpe.”

Real‑estate entrepreneur Bruno Tales reported that fraudsters used his agency’s name to advertise high‑end properties with unrealistically low entry fees of R$10‑20 thousand, when the market price would require R$70‑100 thousand. He also recalled a case where a developer sold the same apartment to more than one buyer. Creci‑PB advises consumers to verify a broker’s registration number on its website before any payment or contract signing and to file complaints if fraud is suspected.