A crowd gathered in Bedford-Stuyvesant on Monday evening to confront a persistent and damaging issue affecting the neighborhood: property fraud, deed theft, and predatory real estate speculation.

THE CITY, a newsroom that has conducted extensive investigations on the subject, led the community discussion, hosted by JPMorgan Chase at its Brooklyn Community Banking Branch in Bed-Stuy. The event featured housing experts who regularly help New Yorkers navigate these complex and often devastating situations.

Marco Villegas, program officer for global philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase, noted that Bed-Stuy may be ground zero for real estate speculators aiming to unlawfully seize property — not just in New York City, but potentially across the country.

Scott Kohanowski, general counsel for the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, described how scammers often approach their targets through unexpected channels — including social media, relatives, and even religious communities.

Kim Allman, interim executive director of Abode Alliance, urged attendees to seek out qualified legal representation. “Not all lawyers are created equal,” she warned, emphasizing that expertise in property and estate law is essential. “Your uncle with a law degree may not be the right person to help.”

The forum offered attendees a chance to ask questions and share personal experiences in an off-the-record format with the panelists.

Moderating the discussion was Rachel Holliday Smith, managing editor at THE CITY. The outlet has produced numerous investigations into property fraud and real estate exploitation, including its award-winning Deed Finders series, which revealed how speculators target vulnerable heirs to strip families of generational wealth — disproportionately in Black and Latino communities.

More recently, THE CITY exposed a secretive family accused of seizing properties from immigrant owners throughout Brooklyn, including the location of the well-known Sherita billboard on Atlantic Avenue.