The vast majority of real estate transactions in Cuba are made in good faith. But as in any market where money moves, scammers exist, and their methods repeat themselves. Knowing them is the best defense.
This guide summarizes the most common red flags and the checks you should always make, whether you are buying or renting.
The classic red flags
A price too good to be true: a house clearly below the value of its area is the oldest bait there is. It may hide documentation problems, a disputed inheritance… or the house may simply not exist.
Artificial urgency: "I have another buyer this afternoon", "it’s today or never". Haste is the scammer’s favorite tool, because it prevents verification.
Money upfront with no guarantees: asking for a deposit, a "hold" or an advance by transfer before you have seen the home and the original documents. Never do it.
Vague intermediaries: someone who "manages" the sale but cannot show the title or a notarized power of attorney from the owner.
Essential checks before paying
Visit the home in person. It sounds obvious, but the most painful scams happen at a distance — typically with buyers who live outside Cuba and trust photos and promises.
Insist on seeing the original property title and confirm at the Property Registry that the home is registered in the name of the person selling it, through an up-to-date ownership and liens certificate.
Verify identity: the seller’s ID must match the registered owner. If they act on behalf of someone else, demand the original power of attorney.
Golden rules for payment
Never hand over the full amount before signing before the notary. The public deed is the moment ownership changes hands; payments should be tied to that act.
If you agree on a prior deposit, keep it proportional, in writing, with witnesses and verified identity. And distrust any excuse to avoid the notary: "it’s to save on taxes" is usually the prologue to a problem.
Rentals have scams too
The typical rental fraud is charging deposits for homes that do not exist or do not belong to the supposed landlord, especially with tenants arriving from another province or from abroad.
Apply the same logic: see the home (or have someone you fully trust see it), verify that the person renting is the owner or is authorized, and never transfer months of deposit to strangers.
What CubanPortal does, and how to report
At CubanPortal we enforce publication rules, remove listings that break them and suspend repeat offenders. Even so, no platform can verify every transaction: the final verification is always yours.
If a listing looks suspicious, report it by writing to us through the contact page. Every report helps us keep the catalog clean for everyone.
The most frequent scams, one by one
The methods repeat with very little variation. Recognising the specific pattern helps more than a generic warning, because each one has its own exact point of defence.
| Scam | How it works | How it is stopped |
|---|---|---|
| The house that does not exist | Photos lifted from another listing and a very low price | An in-person visit, yours or a trusted person’s |
| The fake owner | Someone rents or sells a house that is not theirs | Ownership certificate + ID matched to the registered owner |
| The vanishing deposit | An advance by transfer is requested to "hold" the home | Pay nothing before seeing the title and original documents |
| The double sale | The same home is promised to several buyers | Deed and payment in the same act before the notary |
| The hidden inheritance | A house is sold with heirs who have not signed | Declaration of heirs and adjudication, registered |
| The invented attorney | A "fixer" with no power of attorney charges to manage it | Demand the original power and read its scope |
Verifying from a distance without travelling
Most serious scams involve buyers outside Cuba. The defence is not to stop buying at a distance, but to replace trust with concrete checks that can in fact be done from abroad.
- 1Ask for a live video call walking through the home, from the street inwards, without cuts.
- 2Ask that the title deed and the seller’s ID be shown legibly during that call.
- 3Have someone you fully trust in Cuba visit in person, on a different day and at a different hour.
- 4Check at the Property Registry, with an up-to-date certificate, who the registered owner is.
- 5Look up the address on the map and compare the façade with the listing photos.
- 6If an attorney-in-fact is involved, demand the original power of attorney and confirm it authorises that specific sale.
If you have already paid
Recovery is difficult but not impossible, and it depends above all on speed and on the documentation you can produce. Act the same day you spot the problem.
- Gather the whole trail: messages, transfer receipts, screenshots of the listing, names and phone numbers.
- Report it to the police in the municipality where the home is or where the events took place.
- If the money left a bank account, notify the bank immediately.
- Seek legal advice in Cuba: a completed fraud has a criminal route, and a civil one too if there was a contract.
- Report the listing to us so we can remove it and block the account before someone else falls for it.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most common property scam in Cuba?
- The upfront deposit: an amount is requested by transfer to "hold" a home the scammer does not have, and then they disappear. It mainly affects buyers outside the island who have seen neither the house nor the original documents.
- How do I check that the seller really owns the home?
- With two documents: the seller’s identity card and an up-to-date ownership and liens certificate from the Property Registry. The name on the ID and the registered owner must match. If a third party is acting, demand the original power of attorney.
- Is it safe to pay a deposit before the deed?
- Only if it is proportional, in writing, witnessed, and you have already verified the title and the registry certificate. Never before those checks, and never the full amount: ownership changes hands at the deed before the notary, and payments should be tied to that act.
- What should I do if a listing looks fake?
- Report it through our contact page with the listing link and what made you suspicious. We review reports, remove listings that break the publication rules and suspend repeat offenders.
Keep reading
Buying a house in Cuba from abroad: a guide for the diaspora
Cubans abroad and foreigners without residency: what the law allows today, how a purchase actually works and how to protect yourself from a distance.
Read guideDocuments required to buy or sell a home in Cuba
Property title, ownership certificate, technical reports and notary procedures: the complete paperwork checklist for a safe transaction.
Read guide