🔥HOT TOPIC 🔥 Fraud in Real Estate

🎧 Podcast: Real Estate Scams: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know This week on Real Estate Today, we take a closer look at the latest real estate fraud trends, the red flags buyers and sellers cannot afford to miss, and how scammers are using new technology to target transactions. With 1 in 5 homeowners reporting they have received a fraudulent message before closing, understanding how these scams work has never been more important.

Online Real Estate Fraud Climbed to $275M in 2025, FBI Says. April 2026. Even the most diligent can fall victim to fraud, and online thieves are more sophisticated than ever with AI in their arsenal. The FBI's cybercrime division released its 2025 annual report last week that paints a gut-wrenching picture of how online thieves are swindling people during the biggest (and sometimes most nerve-racking) purchase of their lives. Read the article here: www.nar.realtor/magazine/real-estate-news/online-real-estate-fraud-climbed-to-275m-in-2025-fbi-says

Criminals Impersonating City and County Officials in Phishing Emails for Planning and Zoning Permits | Alert Number: I-030926-PSA | 09 March 2026 The FBI is warning the public about an emerging phishing scheme by criminals impersonating city and county officials to solicit fraudulent payments for city and county planning and zoning permits. The criminals leverage publicly available permit information to identify potential victims and increase the legitimacy of the scam. Victims of this scam have been identified nationwide.

NAR's Consumer Guide (link): Spotting Deepfake Scams in Real Estate. Scammers might use deepfake-generated audio or video to impersonate buyers, sellers, real estate agents, real estate lawyers, title agents, or other professionals. Get all the guides, also available in Spanish, at facts.realtor. (link)

NAR's Consumer Guide (link) answers buyer and seller questions about common scams, red flags, and how they can protect themselves. Get all the guides, also available in Spanish, at facts.realtor (link).

Beware of 'title pirates' and fraud risks for vacant land (link). About 6 in 10 real estate professionals and leaders report they've seen cases of title fraud in their market over the past year (2025 Deed & Title Fraud Survey (link)). Potential wire and title fraud risks in a real estate transaction. Read more (link).

Renting? Don't Get Scammed by Rental Scams (link). Rental fraud is more common than you might think, and scammers are getting better at making fake listings look real.

Growing threat of real estate wire fraud, especially during closing transactions. NAR Consumer Guide: www.nar.realtor/the-facts/consumer-guide-how-to-protect-against-real-estate-wire-fraud(link)

​​2025 Secret Service Alert on Cryptocurrency Scams and Pig Butchering: Click here (link) to download a Secret Service awareness flyer for education and distribution purposes.

What is Deed Fraud Handout (PDF) Deed fraud, or title fraud, schemes involve impersonating the actual owner and recording fake or forged documents in local land records. In other cases, property owners are deceived or convinced to sign documents related to their property that are not in their best interests. More insights & current prevention efforts: www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/deed-and-title-fraud-survey(link)

Protect Your Money from Mortgage Closing Scams (link) Every day, hackers try to steal your money by emailing fake wire instructions. Protect yourself and your money by following some important steps.

Vacant Land Scams (video) Scammers posing as property owners target lien-free vacant land and unoccupied properties, resulting in wire fraud and potential liability for unwary agents. Learn how to spot common red flags and what actions you can take to verify a seller’s identity and prevent these fraudulent transactions.

Online Privacy and Security (FTC) Understanding online privacy, how to protect your devices from hackers and threats, and how to avoid common online scams. https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-and-online-security/online-privacy-and-security (link)