The scam goes like this: you’ll receive an email that appears to be from an individual legitimately involved in the transaction, informing the recipient-- often the buyer--that there has been a last minute change to the wiring instructions. The victims of this scam follow the new instructions and wire funds directly to the hacker’s account. The scammer’s account will be cleared out in a matter of minutes and the money is almost always lost forever.
This time of year is one of the busiest for agents when it comes to closing on homes, so this is exactly the time of year that we tend to see an increase in this type of scam. Though none of EZ Home Search’s clients or agents have been involved in the scam, we like to inform our buyers just in case.
If you do find yourself in the middle of this email scam, there are ways to prevent yourself from being a victim. These tips include:
If possible, do not send sensitive information via email. If you must use email to send sensitive information, use encrypted email.
Never click on any links in an unverified email. In addition to leading you to fake websites, these links can contain viruses and other malicious spyware that can make your computer – and your transactions – vulnerable to attack.
This is a re-post of our Scam Alert article from last year. This is an ON GOING Scam affecting our area. Please be vigilant. If you are looking for a home to rent in the Greater Fall River area then stop what you are doing because you need to know about this scam.
Many people who are looking for a home to rent use Craigslist as a means to find a nice rental at a great price, but not all Craigslist ads can be trusted.
It has recently come to our attention that a Craigslist Scammer has used one of the homes that we have on the market in order to swindle money out of unsuspecting renters.
The scammer is using photos of a house that we have for sale and saying that they are renting it out. The scammer then asks for the rent to be wired to them and they will send you keys to the house in return. People are wiring thousands of dollars to someone who does not have any access to the home. In fact, the home listed is not even for rent, it is for sale.
We are not saying that every single Craigslist rental is a scam, but we are asking that you be smart when renting through a service like Craigslist. Always remember that it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your hard earned money, so you should do research on your rental and be 100% sure that it is legitimate when you wire the money.
We also recommend that you think about using a licensed professional when looking for a rental property, that way you know that you truly are getting the best deal. Though EZ Home Search is not a rental agency, there are many reputable rental Real Estate Agents in the Greater Fall River area.
If you or someone you know is in the rental process, please share this with them. It might save someone a lot of money and a huge headache.
Over to you…
Do you know of anyone who has seen or experienced this before? I’d love the chance to learn from you. Please share your thoughts or ideas in the comments.
If you are looking for a home to rent in the Greater Fall River area then stop what you are doing because you need to know about this scam.