The Most Frightening Crime Risk You Face Right Now… Real Estate Cybercrime!!
Just south of ‘Sawmill Creek…..
Hi Attorney Kevin Pritchett here
The Most Frightening Risk You Face Right Now:
CYBERCRIME
Cybercrime In Real Estate Transactions
Here’s some statistics for you….
–in 2018 there was over $300-$600 Billion in attempted cybercrime
–while the average garden variety bank robbery yields $3800
the average cybercrime yields over $160,000!!!
—you are most vulnerable in a real estate transaction
where cyber thieves hijack email accounts and
send you FAKE WIRE INSTRUCTIONS so you
end up wiring your real estate money NOT to the
title company but to the cyber thief’s bank account.
How To Protect Yourself
1. Be vigilant against PHISING emails
A phising email is a fake email that
pretends to be from a trusted source and
asks for personal information…sometimes
even responding to these emails will hijack
your email account and give access to the
thieves.
If the email doesn’t make sense or is
asking for personal info; ssn, drivers license,
tax id number, birthday, STOP, THINK AND
INVESTIGATE.
If you believe the email is fake report it to:
www.IC3.gov so the FBI can begin an investigation
2. Confirm Everything…verify everything
immediately
immediately
In a real estate transaction..ALWAYS, ALWAYS
ALWAYS, call the title company involved in
your deal and verbally confirm that the wire instructions
you received are the legitimate wire instructions
from that title company.
Also, independently confirm the phone number
and address of the title company through your
own google search…to make sure the phone
number on the wire instructions you receive
is legitimate and not fake.
3. What To Do If You’ve Been Targeted
== Immediately call your bank and ask
them to issue a recall notice for your wire.
==Report the crime to www.IC3.gov
==Call your regional FBI office and police
==Detecting that your money has been hijacked
and reporting it within 24 hours is the best chance
of recovering any money lost!!!!
For more info see:
www.stopwirefraud.org
Reach Out To Me If You Have Questions.
OR
…send me an email :ironkop@gmailcom
or if reading on my blog or Facebook page
leave your questions or comments below.
Remember…..
“Things Don’t Get Better With Neglect…..”
Kevin Pritchett, Esq
Law Office of Kevin Pritchett, Inc.
312-505-1957
ironkop@gmail.com
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