Cullen Brown was just days away from closing on his dream home in the Chicago area when an email arrived with instructions for wiring his down payment. It looked completely legitimate, down to the details about his name, address and amount owed. Without hesitation, CNN reports, he sent nearly $60,000 – the bulk of his savings – only to discover shortly after that it wasn't the title company who had emailed him. It was a scammer.
Like many victims of business email compromise (BEC), Brown fell prey to a sophisticated scam in which criminals hack into legitimate email accounts, impersonate trusted parties and trick unsuspecting victims into wiring money to fraudulent accounts.
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"The email came three days before closing. It had all the correct closing information. It all made sense in the moment," Brown said. And that's exactly why these scams are so effective.
A Growing Threat in Real Estate
Scams like these are rising, especially in real estate, where large sums of money exchange hands. The American Land Title Association reported that one in three real estate transactions may be targeted for fraud. And the numbers are staggering – BEC scams accounted for over $2.9 billion in reported losses in 2023, according to the FBI.
What makes these scams so hard to detect? The criminals play on trust, urgency and attention to detail. They often use information gathered from hacked emails to craft convincing messages.
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Homebuyer Ritu Tirthani from Nashville shared a story similar to Brown’s. She wired tens of thousands of dollars for her down payment after receiving what she thought were instructions from her title company. "I remember my brain just froze," Tirthani said when her banker called to inform her that the wire hadn't been received.
The Role of AI in Evolving Scams
New technologies, especially artificial intelligence, have made these scams even harder to spot. AI helps criminals craft highly personalized and professional-looking emails, while instant payment systems like the Federal Reserve's FedNow service compress the window for recovering funds.
In fact, according to a recent CyberRisk Alliance survey, 55% of cybersecurity professionals said that AI-enhanced phishing was their biggest worry. Even pros with training fall for fraud because AI makes scams more plausible.
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Protect Yourself from Real Estate Fraud
So, how can you avoid becoming the next victim? Experts recommend these practical steps:
Verify, verify, verify: Always confirm wire instructions with a trusted phone number from the company's website – not one included in the email.
Look for red flags: Watch for incorrect email addresses, grammatical errors or last-minute changes to payment details.
Involve all parties: Send a group email to your real estate agent, lawyer and title company to verify instructions. Scammers are unlikely to replicate every email in a chain.
Pause and double-check: Real estate transactions can feel rushed, but slowing down could save you from costly mistakes.
Not Just a Buyer's Problem
Even renters are at risk. Scammers often post fake listings with prices that are too good to be true, demand deposits before showing the property, or claim to be the owner without proof. Always verify the legitimacy of a landlord or property manager before transferring any money.
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