Police are warning Seattle-area homeowners about a group that is knocking on the doors of pricey waterfront properties claiming to be their rightful owners — and in one case, told a woman she was being evicted.
The individuals identify themselves as Moorish Sovereign Citizens, CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV reported. The group believes they are independent from any government interference and own all the land between Alaska and Argentina, according to Edmonds police Sgt. Josh McClure.
“They have basically come to say that they’re from this particular group and they’re there to repossess the home and want the people to vacate the premises,” McClure said.
In recent weeks, the group has been targeting homes that were put up for sale in Snohomish County, just outside Seattle, but have run similar scams in other parts of the country.
In 2013, a man broke into a $6 million mansion in Maryland. When police showed up, he claimed he was a Moorish National and produced paperwork he said proved his ownership.