Port Talk – Cyber Crime from Savannah Real Estate Videos on Vimeo.
In today’s digital world, most communication and transactions (including in real estate, are done digitally). Unfortunately, the real estate industry has seen a significant increase in cyber security fraud in the last few months affecting victims here in Savannah, GA. The good news is these scams can be avoided if you and your realtor are cautious and take the necessary cyber security steps.
The most common cyber scams occur when a scammer hacks into a buyer’s email account. For example, a scammer could hack into a buyer’s email and change the wiring instructions sent from the closing attorney’s office. The scammer may also send you an entirely separate fraudulent email that appears like it is from an attorney or another trusted source. These hacks often occur just days before the closing of the sale, so buyers are expecting emails with wiring instructions and other important information.
Seaport Real Estate’s Cyber Security Tips
These unfortunate scams can be avoided if you follow this simple step. CALL and VERIFY all wiring information with the closing attorney and realtor prior to any transaction. Use the phone number from the closing attorney’s website to call, not a phone number listed in an email. Never trust wiring instructions sent by email independently.
The Minnesota Association of Realtors also suggests that “…if a buyer is giving financial information on the web, look at the URL and make sure it reads https (the “s” stands for secure). Instead of clicking on the link via an email look up the URL and type in the web address yourself, the association also recommends.”