Warning About Impersonators

We Are Dealing With Scammers On A Daily Basis

There is only one Meta Verified Decathlon Tiny Homes Facebook page and we have discovered two duplicate pages using our name, logo, address, and phone number. They have also posed as Jerry Terry and created fake email addresses. On a daily basis we discover new Facebook pages trying to resell our tiny homes or advertising a rent-to-own opportunity. The terms are too good to be true because they are not true.

One scammer even linked to our website, but created a fake Jerry Terry gmail account. To become a Meta Verified Facebook page, we had to provide documentation to prove we were a legitimate business and Facebook page. We took this additional step for client protection and for the added transparency of our business.

How To Spot A Tiny House Fraudster

Do Not Be Fooled By A Scammer

Have you ever seen a commercial that showed a person laughing hysterically because they just fooled another unsuspecting customer who just sent them money for a service they will never receive to a scammer who is pretending to be offering a real service?

The tiny house industry is now flourishing with absolute scammers. They are pretending to be legitimate builders, even using their name, and address, and photos. This is especially flourishing in the internet in Facebook groups. There are also cloned Facebook pages and fake websites. Sadly, half the Facebook groups are run by the scammers and the scammer is the admin.

Are you getting the nagging feeling that the tiny house builder you have been speaking to through texting, Facebook messaging, or other methods might not really be a real builder at all and you are becoming curious about their real identity? For all you know they could be an alligator farmer in Florida, or in a phone boiler room overseas, or just your average scammer using a lap top on the beach, drinking margaritas looking for an easy target to scam.

Red Flags To Be Aware Of

Offers Too Good To Be True
Very Low Prices
Rent To Own ( There Are Some Real Offers-But You Must Do Your Research)
They Are Using Other Builder’s Photos
They Make Statements Like No Permits Needed
They Say DM On Facebook-Why Not Send You To Their Website
But There Are Even Fake Websites -More Research Is Needed
Their Facebook Profile Is Often New But They State They Have Built For Years
They Will Not Use Pay Pal As A Payment Method
You Cannot Verify Their Building Facility
They Put You Off To Visit The Building Facility
The Wire Transfer Information Does Not Match Their Name Or Building Facility Address
The ‘So Called Builder’ Receives Your Down Payment And You Cannot Get Photos, The Timeline Keeps Being Extended, And They Ask You For Even More Money
They Have American Names, But Their Accents Do Not Match The Name
The Website Or Facebook Page Does Not Clearly State Who They Are

Find The True Source Of An Image

Legitimate Builders You Can Trust Have No Need To Use The Photos Of Other Builders.

If they are displaying a photo of themself, photos of the tiny house, or trailer. You can find the original source of who the person is, and the true builder of the tiny home.

Using Google Images To Find A Photo's Original Source

The first step is to open up Google Images.
Next, click on the camera icon in the search bar.
Then, upload the image file in question by clicking ‘Upload an Image’ or by dragging and dropping the file from the correct folder.
At this point, Google Images will show you all of the results for webpages with that image and you should click on ‘All Sizes’.
Here, you’ll see all the examples of this image being used on the internet if it has been used multiple times. It also shows the date each version was uploaded, helping you to track down the original.