Authorities seek victims in real estate scam

By Ana Ley

Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013 | 6:15 p.m.

Police are searching for potential victims of a purported real estate fraudster accused of scamming people out of as much as $200,000 by pretending to help them refinance or modify mortgages.

George C. George, 54, offered to help victims purchase a home or offered to buy their home using his own money and promised to help with their mortgage afterward, according to a statement issued today by Metro Police. The victims were instructed to provide money for down payments, earnest money or origination fees as part of the deal, police said. Once the victims paid, George reportedly was unreachable.

Detectives said George threatened to hurt some of the victims, but it was not immediately clear how he made the threats. He allegedly has been involved in financial fraud schemes dating back to 2010.

Police did not immediately say how many victims have come forward against George or from where the previous cases originated. Tess Driver of the Clark County District Attorney’s Office said there are no local fraud cases involving George; he was apparently arrested on a fraud-theft warrant out of Reno Justice Court.

Anyone with information about potential victims in Clark County is urged to call the police department’s fraud section at (702) 828-3290 or Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555.