221 Cannon is Not For Sale • Hacker News Board

Re: 221 Cannon is Not For Sale

#201

Post by afpx » Wed, Feb 04, 2026, 12:53 PM UTC

recursive wrote: post #97

kstrauser wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the dark old days before Apple Pay, where it was common in America to hand your credit/debit card to some rando at a restaurant and have them disappear with it for a few minutes, about once a year my bank would call me to ask if I'd been using my card in some far-off locale: "Hi! Are you in Tijuana?" "Not since 1993. Why? What's up?" "So you didn't just try to buy gasoline at a PEMEX there?" "Nope, I'm in San Fran…

You must have been going to some very shady restaurants. I still hand off my credit card to a rando. I did it today. I did it last weekend. I've never had this problem.

I've been using my credit card at restaurants for 30 years. I've used it probably 5000 times, and I've only had the number stolen once (from a grocery store).

Where are these low-trust areas of the US? I want to visit and check it out.

Re: 221 Cannon is Not For Sale

#202

Post by b112 » Wed, Feb 04, 2026, 1:09 PM UTC

eszed wrote: post #43

emptybits wrote: post #7

1. Author lost me at his first sentence: "Like most people, I’ve had my identity stolen once or twice in my life." I am careful and aware of this possibility, but AFAIK I have not experienced this, nor have "most people" I know. o_O Crazy times. 2. I don't even understand how a title transfer could happen without verifying ownership. Is the title system in the USA decentralized or that much different than elsewhere?…

I'm equally careful and aware. Years ago, now, I discovered that someone in New Mexico (if I recall correctly) was working under my Social Security number. That was likely someone not authorized to work in the US writing random digits on an I9 form. No amount of care will protect against that. It wasn't easy to clear up, either. I'm fortunate that a close friend worked (at the time) for the SS administration, and was…

Social security numbers are not unique. In the old days, mistakes would happen, and some people would get the same one.

This person could have been an illegal, but there is a non-zero chance you just both had the same one. It does happen, or at least did.

Re: 221 Cannon is Not For Sale

#203

Post by gus_massa » Wed, Feb 04, 2026, 1:18 PM UTC

1970-01-01 wrote: post #32

6. If questioned, they disappear. Seems like this isn't really a problem? Who sells land without questions?

I was thinking the same, but IIUC they are expecting to get away only with the reserve money, not the full price.

Re: 221 Cannon is Not For Sale

#204

Post by estsauver » Wed, Feb 04, 2026, 1:37 PM UTC

This was extremely common as a scam in Kenya, the solution there was an extraordinarily simple tactic:

Put up a big "This property is not for sale" sign on the land.

Re: 221 Cannon is Not For Sale

#205

Post by wildzzz » Wed, Feb 04, 2026, 1:58 PM UTC

bookofjoe wrote: post #200

kstrauser wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the dark old days before Apple Pay, where it was common in America to hand your credit/debit card to some rando at a restaurant and have them disappear with it for a few minutes, about once a year my bank would call me to ask if I'd been using my card in some far-off locale: "Hi! Are you in Tijuana?" "Not since 1993. Why? What's up?" "So you didn't just try to buy gasoline at a PEMEX there?" "Nope, I'm in San Fran…

Remember when credit cards required your signature on the back?

My mom used to tell me to write CHECK ID in the signature block. Someone only ever asked me once. It's probably been like 10 years since I've signed the back of a new card. An older woman at an antique shop actually checked for a signature and made me sign it in front of her.

Re: 221 Cannon is Not For Sale

#206

Post by madcaptenor » Wed, Feb 04, 2026, 2:01 PM UTC

eszed wrote: post #43

emptybits wrote: post #7

1. Author lost me at his first sentence: "Like most people, I’ve had my identity stolen once or twice in my life." I am careful and aware of this possibility, but AFAIK I have not experienced this, nor have "most people" I know. o_O Crazy times. 2. I don't even understand how a title transfer could happen without verifying ownership. Is the title system in the USA decentralized or that much different than elsewhere?…

I'm equally careful and aware. Years ago, now, I discovered that someone in New Mexico (if I recall correctly) was working under my Social Security number. That was likely someone not authorized to work in the US writing random digits on an I9 form. No amount of care will protect against that. It wasn't easy to clear up, either. I'm fortunate that a close friend worked (at the time) for the SS administration, and was…

And writing random digits has about a one-in-three chance of being a hit.

Re: 221 Cannon is Not For Sale

#207

Post by DanHulton » Wed, Feb 04, 2026, 2:12 PM UTC

estsauver wrote: post #204

This was extremely common as a scam in Kenya, the solution there was an extraordinarily simple tactic: Put up a big "This property is not for sale" sign on the land.

I was wondering why that wasn't mentioned once!

The first realtor to walk the land would have noticed that sign in a hurry, I figure.

Re: 221 Cannon is Not For Sale

#208

Post by angry_octet » Wed, Feb 04, 2026, 2:12 PM UTC

The best remedy for this is a Land Title Registry, which is a secure database of who owns a parcel of land, and a mandated verification of identity (VoI) standard. You no longer require title deeds, notaries, or title insurance. It isn't totally proof against sophisticated social engineering and gullibility of course, but it is a lot safer.

For registry titles you can also add caveats, that require sign-off from another party before transactions can occur. Unfortunately the contact address is still purely snail mail, no email or phone numbers. If you title has a bank mortgage that will appear as a caveat, requiring the debt to be discharged before it can be removed, and that also involves more ID verification.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrens_title

https://www.firstlinks.com.au/why-our-torrens-title-property...

Re: 221 Cannon is Not For Sale

#209

Post by stackedinserter » Wed, Feb 04, 2026, 2:15 PM UTC

You know what? Fuck this guy. And that one who found a 4-bedroom house on his land that he haven't used for decades.

They didn't do anything with their land and doesn't have any plans for it for the foreseeable future. It's not like a snowblower that sits in your garage unused. It's land, a piece of planet. If you own it, you should use it for something. If you don't, return it back to people.

Re: 221 Cannon is Not For Sale

#210

Post by stackedinserter » Wed, Feb 04, 2026, 2:17 PM UTC

DannyPage wrote: post #14

Owning a vacant lot far from where you live seems to come with some risks. In Hawaii, a woman found out that a house was built on the wrong lot and inspectors missed it until the completed house was being sold. I'm curious if there are other proactive measures folks could take to ensure that doesn't happen to their land. https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/hawaii-home-built-on-w...

That's why such thing as "vacant land" shouldn't exist. Have a land -> do something on it. If you don't -> sell it to someone who do, or pay taxes that double every year.