The American bank robber, Willie Sutton, was asked why he robbed banks and his answer was "because that is where the money is." During his 40-year career, he stole about $2 million but Internet scammers are stealing many times that amount in phishing schemes preying on unsuspecting home buyers.
These crooks know where the money is because buyers have the down payment and closing costs and are expecting to transfer it to the close the sale of their home. The FBI, in their 2018 Internet Crime Report, stated victims lost over $149 million and the CFPB estimates the losses at over $1 billion as a result of fraud in real estate transactions. The scammers want to take advantage of the situation while it is still in the buyer's account.
Commonly, during the closing process, scammers will send spoofed emails to homebuyers from someone they expect to hear from regarding the transaction like the real estate agent or the settlement agent. They will include false instructions for the closing funds.
Following these suggestions can help to protect you and possibly, avoid scams:
If you believe you have been the victim of a phishing scheme, call your bank immediately and ask them to issue a recall notice on the money transfer. File a complaint with the FBI at www.IC3.gov and report it to your local FBI office.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has released two documents in an effort to inform consumers about wire fraud scams that commonly occur during closings: Mortgage Closing Checklist and Mortgage Closing Scams.
This is for information purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.
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Bob is dedicated to offering the finest real estate service available in the Lake Geneva area. He attempts to make each buyer or seller he works with feel like they are the one and only client he has and strives to make each transaction a pleasurable experience with the least amount of problems, stress, and inconvenience to them.