Based on history, cyber criminal activity WILL increase over the upcoming long weekend. Because of the diverted attention to family, friends, travel and celebration, “3-day weekends” and Holidays are potential weaknesses for businesses, REALTORS and consumers . These events leave the fraudsters with more time to leave their attacks undiscovered. Be sure to be cautious of emails attempting to make last minute changes to wire instructions and also of strange emails containing links or PDFs with clickable links that could be phishing attempts on you or your clients. This is especially important to remember if you have a closing in the near future. Please feel free to forward this to any of your buyer or seller clients. Remember, you can always reach out to our wire department at 915-545-2222 to confirm correct wiring instructions for any particular transaction.
RED FLAGS TO REMEMBER
- Cash Transactions
- Emails received stressing the urgency to finish the wire process
- Poor Grammar
- Ordering wire instructions too far in advance of closing
- Emails attempting to change wire instructions just before closing
Friday, June 30th and Monday, July 3rd are dates to be on high alert. By simply staying alert and sharing this information you can potentially save yourself and your clients thousands and a lot of heartache.