If you, your clients, or agents in your brokerage have been targeted in a wire fraud scam, Texas REALTORS® staff members want to hear from you. Send an email to general.counsel@texasrealtors.com so TAR can continue developing resources that help you stay safe from scammers.
What exactly do we want to know? Here are a few questions to answer in your email.
- When did the wire fraud scam occur?
- Was it through email or other means?
- How was the scam carried out?
- Was the fraudulent activity caught before damage was done?
- How did the fraud impact the transaction or your business?
And if you haven’t already, be sure to report the crime to the Federal Bureau of Investigation via ic3.gov, the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
There are simple steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of wire fraud scams. Learn more about how they happen and how to protect yourself with these resources from TAR.
- “One click can cost you” from the June 2015 Texas REALTOR® magazine
- “You’re still a target for online scammers” from the September/October 2016 issue of Texas REALTOR® magazine
- “Time to take cybercrime seriously” from the May 2017 issue of Texas REALTOR® magazine
Watch this Texas REALTOR® Magazine Minute for more tips to protect you and your clients from scammers.
Had numerous instances of individuals stealing my listing information and putting ads on Craigslist as the “owner” of the property who was looking for a tenant at a reduced price and encouraging them to send money by wire overseas and then wait for the keys to be sent to them. I completely stopped putting my listings on Craigslist for that very reason.One time they even used my name as the “owner” and created an email address with my name.