My wife and I were looking at some property in AK, the correspondence started out as email.  Then we realized that it was a very well known scam.  I got so frustrated with the whole thing that I called a separate phone number listed on the website.  Then I got a text from this number. Definitely fishing for information.  I led him on about buying the house and he kept asking for my email.  Ultimately I created a very funny email and my own diatribe to him.  I have not heard a peep since.  Doing a little digging it looks like they use unsuspecting peoples emails to propagate the scam.  But the dummy used his personal phone to text me.  Anyway  SCAM!  Based on what I have read above it looks like he has changed his approach and tactics to get information.