WIRE FRAUD IS ON THE RISE, BE VIGILANT
Fraudsters may be lurking in the shadows of the web, watching your email for clues that you are about to complete a real estate transaction, and that makes you vulnerable to fraudulent emails directing you to send funds, via a wire transfer, in anticipation of your closing.
Remember the fraudster may have specific details about your closing transaction, and while it may seem convincing – often there are clues in the email to alert you that the email is a fraud.
We will ALWAYS call you in advance to advise you that a wire is required to complete your closing. AFTER the phone call, we will then send you an encrypted email with instructions to initiate a wire. And we will always take the time & recommend that you first call to VERIFY the wire instructions, prior to initiating the transfer!!
3 TIPS TO AVOID BEING A VICTIM:
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Call our office at a verified phone number PRIOR to initiating a wire transfer to confirm the wire instructions are accurate.
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NEVER send personal or financial information via email, unless it's secure or encrypted.
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Slow down & carefully read all emails. Sometimes a simple vernacular will indicate that the email is a fraud or the email address initiating the correspondence may be suspicious. Be sure to trust your instincts if what you receive doesn’t seem quite right.