Phishing, hacking, wire fraud ? these are all ways people attempt to steal from others online. As real estate searches and transactions move more and more online, the chances of being caught up in a cyber scam have become even greater.
“Cybercrimes have become increasingly sophisticated over the years and the people perpetrating them focus on situations where a lot of money is changing hands, making real estate transactions an ideal target,” said Snohomish County-Camano Association of Realtors® President Dave Duncan.
Here are a few tips from the Snohomish County-Camano Association of Realtors® to help home buyers and sellers recognize and avoid real estate scams:
Do not send sensitive information via email. “Do not send banking information, your social security number or anything else that could be used to comprise your identity over email,” said Duncan. “If you absolutely must send personal or sensitive information via email, only use encrypted email.”
Do not use unsecured Wi-Fi. It may seem harmless to check banking information using the free Wi-Fi at your local coffee shop, but using an open connection can leave you vulnerable to hackers and scammers. Only access sensitive information on your home computer or on a secured network.
If you suspect fraud, tell someone. “If you suspect that fraud has or is in the process of occurring, contact all parties contacted to the transaction immediately,” said Duncan. “Unfortunately, often there is nothing that can be done to retrieve money stolen in the scam, however, you should still report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center or the Federal Trade Commission.”
The Snohomish County-Camano Association of Realtors® is “the voice for real estate in Snohomish County.” If you have questions for The Expert about Real Estate email us at info@sccar.com.
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