A couple got the surprise of their lives after discovering that scammers had stolen and sold their million-dollar retirement plan in Massachusetts.
Dr. Omar Jaraki and his wife, Halla, purchased 1.84 acres of undeveloped land worth $1 million in Concord in 1991, where they planned to build a family home to enjoy their retirement.
But when the couple called city hall looking for their annual tax bill in August, they were told the future retirement plan had been sold for about half its value.
The horrified couple realized they had been victims of a terrible scam in which fraudsters posed as them to trick an unsuspecting buyer into buying it.
‘They stole our dream. They stole our property. They took a mortgage on it. “They are building a house there,” said the cardiologist. C.B.S..
Dr. Omar Jaraki and his wife, Halla, had purchased 1.84 acres of undeveloped land worth $1 million in Concord in 1991, where they planned to build a family home.
According to a fraud lawsuit Hosted by the couple, a scammer used a fake Halla driver’s license, passport and email address to trick a local real estate agent and two other experienced real estate attorneys into allowing them to steal the land in 2023.
The empty plot was reportedly advertised as “a great opportunity to build your dream home in the ultra-exclusive, sought-after and prestigious neighborhood of Mattison Farm.” One of the only lots left and located on a 1.84 acre parcel. Very close to Concord and Nashawtuc Country Club.
An unsuspecting buyer has done just that: build a nearly finished home on land he will almost certainly lose.
The scammers appraised the parcel at $699,900.00, far below its value.
An unwitting buyer made an offer of $525,000.00, the building was built and construction began shortly thereafter.
“They “sold” the property to Max Geesey and got away with nearly $500,000.00 in stolen proceeds from the sale,” the documents read.
But when the couple called city hall looking for their annual tax bill in August, they were told the future retirement plan had been sold for about half its value.
The barren land 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 lots left and located on a 1.84 acre parcel. Very close to Concord and Nashawtuc Country Club
While the property was priced at $699,900.00, it was purchased for an astonishing $525,000.00 and a green-painted house was soon built.
Richard Vetstein, the couple’s lawyer noted: ‘The moment I saw this writing, I knew it was a forgery. You can tell by looking at it. Just the lyrics seem out of place. There were many other red flags.
—Quickly half a million for a falsified driver’s license and passport and for sending a couple of emails. That’s a day’s work.
Officials also noted that Halla’s fake South Carolina driver’s license looked nothing like a real one and, interestingly, his fake U.S. passport had the same photo as the driver’s license.
‘That’s not possible because license photos are taken at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The woman with the fake IDs looks nothing like Halla Jaraki.
‘This is a disaster. It’s not just for us but for other people what’s going to happen to them,’ exclaimed the lawyer.
“They “sold” the property to Max Geesey and got away with nearly $500,000.00 in stolen sale proceeds,” the documents read.
Officials also noted that Halla’s fake South Carolina driver’s license looked nothing like a real one and, interestingly, his fake U.S. passport had the same photo as the driver’s license.
Although the experienced lawyer hopes that the Jarakis, who were married in Boston, will recover their land, questions remain about what will happen to the house that is being built.
The law is on the side of the Jarakis and they will almost certainly recover their plot.
It’s unclear what will happen to the unfortunate people who paid the scammers believing they were buying it.
An agreement can also be reached that allows new buyers – who have not been identified – to remain there, if they can afford the additional outlay.
‘They are definitely going to get their property back. I think the only question is, what do we do with the house? There are two ways to go. They may transfer ownership to their owners or there may be some type of financial arrangement,” Vetstein said.
According to the lawsuit, filed against the “new” owner and attorneys involved in the scam, the couple seeks damages, attorneys’ fees and costs against each of the defendants.
The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into the fraudulent sale.
