Squatter Scammers, Family Fraud, and Sweet, Petty Revenge: How One Homeowner Outsmarted the Grifters
When most people think of family drama, they imagine tense Thanksgiving dinners or arguments over who gets Grandma’s cookie recipe. But for u/polishbyproxy, the drama after their father’s passing cranked the chaos up to eleven—complete with squatters, forged signatures, insurance fraud, and a relentless battle to save their dad’s house from grifters. If you’ve ever wondered how far some folks will go to rip off the recently bereaved (and how you can fight back), buckle up. This is one wild ride through the world of squatter scams and the power of keeping receipts.
When Grief Meets Greed: The Debit Card Debacle
The story kicks off on the worst possible day: the original poster’s (OP’s) father has just passed away. As the family reels, two household occupants—Mr. A and Ms. M—along with their contractor pal Mr. K, decide this is the perfect moment for some five-finger discount action. They swipe the late father’s debit card and rack up several hundred dollars in charges to Mr. K’s business. It’s a scheme so brazen it would make a cartoon villain blush.
But as one top commenter, u/thegloracle, points out, “Wow. As soon as the debit card fraud hit, did you go to the police!?!?” OP admits they didn’t, since the charge was reversed and, as they say, “one of the culprits was family.” The community, however, wasn’t buying the “family pass” excuse. “That was someone related by DNA; by their actions they are closer to a cockroach than a primate,” quipped u/prof-bunnies. Others, like retired law enforcement commenter u/slackerassftw, provided a reality check: banks rarely prosecute these cases unless the fraud is massive, so most victims are left to fight it out themselves.
Squatters, Extortion, and the “Cash for Keys” Catastrophe
You’d think getting caught forging a dead man’s signature would send these squatters scurrying. Not so. Mr. A and Ms. M, emboldened by OP’s need to sell the house (thanks to a reverse mortgage deadline), demand thousands in “cash for keys”—promising to move out if paid off. OP, desperate to resolve the situation, eventually coughs up $5,000. But in a plot twist worthy of a soap opera, the squatters take the money and… stay put.
The community had strong opinions on this. “Just so you know you never give cash for keys UNTIL the occupants are moved out and the house is broom clean,” advised u/Usual-Archer-916. OP responded that despite changing locks and boarding windows after the handoff, the squatters simply broke back in. “Like cockroaches they just crawled right back in,” OP lamented. Others wondered about using the police or utility companies to force them out, but as OP explained, “Utility company doesn’t care who pays the bill.” Squatters simply opened new accounts in their own names, and police called it a “civil matter.” The frustration was palpable: “People like that should be tasting the broad end of a baseball bat. Repeatedly,” offered one now-deleted user, summing up the community’s exasperation.
Insurance Fraud: The Last, Pathetic Scam
Just when our hero thought it was over—house finally ready to sell, squatters (eventually) gone—a new curveball flew in. On the eve of closing, an insurance company calls: a claim had been filed for water damage, complete with a forged rental agreement in OP’s name and a bill from Mr. K. The squatters were trying to cash in one last time.
This is where the meticulous record-keeping paid off. OP handed over everything—signed termination notices, emails about previous fraud, text messages where Mr. A brags about not paying rent, and photos disproving the water damage claim. “The adjuster shared a copy of the forged rental agreement in my name... I happily shared my termination notice that I had both Mr. A and Ms. M sign... Theirs matched the bogus rental agreement, mine didn’t,” OP explained. The result? The insurance claim was denied and, as OP gleefully put it, “I will finally get a decent night’s sleep knowing I got the final word.”
The schadenfreude was strong in the comments. “Bravo,” cheered u/VivianDiane. Others, like u/cheeses_greist, pointed out that while the squatters did get some free rent and cash, OP “got the squatters out, didn’t lose the house, provided evidence of fraud, and… got the final word.” Sweet, petty revenge indeed.
Lessons Learned: Receipts, Resilience, and the Power of Petty
So what can we learn from OP’s saga? First, keep your receipts—literally and figuratively. Detailed documentation is what saved OP from losing the house and stopped the insurance fraud in its tracks. Second, never underestimate how low some people (even family) will stoop when there’s money on the line. As u/Beowulf33232 put it, “Fraudsters keep it up because they keep getting away with it.”
Perhaps most importantly, this story is a cautionary tale about the limitations of the legal system when it comes to squatters and small-time fraud. The community offered plenty of hindsight wisdom—don’t pay cash for keys until the squatters are out, call the cops anyway, and maybe invest in some well-placed security cameras. But as OP’s ordeal shows, sometimes all you can do is document everything, outlast the crooks, and savor the satisfaction of denying them a final payday.
Have you ever dealt with squatters, family betrayal, or a scam that made your blood boil? Drop your own horror stories (or petty revenge victories) in the comments! And remember: always keep your receipts—you never know when you’ll need them for your own dose of sweet, sweet revenge.
Original Reddit Post: Squatter drama and why it’s not wise to rip people off.