The red flags we see today are not always as glaringly obvious as they once were. That’s because today’s fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
A good rule of thumb is to assume the email is fake and then spend time proving it’s legitimate with a quick check:
- Hyperlinks
- Sender’s email address
- Spelling & grammar
One of the dead giveaways of a fraudulent email is the hyperlinks within the email. The hyperlinks will look unfamiliar, because a fraudster needs to lead their victim to an alternative web page to initiate their attack.
Never click a hyperlink unless you’ve hovered over it and can confirm the URL that pops up is your intended destination. If you’re still unsure from the pop-up, send a new email to your contact, or better yet call them to verify.
Another way to spot a fraudster is to look extra close at the sender’s email address.
Today’s email fraudsters are getting so good, only minor details may be changed, such as using a zero in an email address instead of the letter O, or the numeral 1 instead of the letter L. Verify the sender’s email address looks familiar and does not contain any strange numbers or characters.
While in years past, it was common for fraudulent emails to drip with poor grammar, misspellings and strange character spacings, that’s not always the case today.
Today’s emails may even mention specific individuals on the transaction or include email signatures that are similar to the legitimate ones.
Nevertheless, don’t overlook spelling or grammar errors in any email pertaining to your real estate tranaction. When in doubt, look up the number to call your contact and verify (fraudsters have been known to deploy fake phone numbers too).