The Daily News has stolen the Empire State Building, and it only took 90 minutes. They made up some fake paperwork and successfully got the deed to the 102-story landmark transferred to a fake company called “Nelots Properties LLC.” Get it? Nelots? Stolen? The information provided to the city register was laughably fake — King Kong star Fay Wray was listed as a witness.

From the Daily News:

Of course, stealing the Empire State Building wouldn’t go unnoticed for long, but it shows how easy it is for con artists to swipe more modest buildings right out from under their owners. Armed with a fraudulent deed, they can take out big mortgages and disappear, leaving a mess for property owners, banks and bureaucrats.

“Once you have the deed, it’s easy to obtain a mortgage,” Farrell said.

Many crooks have done just that:

– Asia Smith stole her 88-year-old grandmother’s house in Springfield Gardens, Queens, pocketing $445,000 in mortgages she took out.

“Her grandmother raised her,” said Queens Assistant District Attorney Kristen Kane. Smith, 22, was arrested last December and is serving a one-year jail term for fraud.

– A man posing as someone who had been dead for 19 years deeded the dead man’s property to himself. He then sold it to the scheme’s mastermind, who took out a $533,000 mortgage and vanished with the cash.

– Toma Dushevic managed to steal seven dilapidated city-owned buildings in Brooklyn 10 years ago.

It took 90 minutes for Daily News to ‘steal’ the Empire State Building [Daily News]
(Photo: Amy Photos )

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.