As Realtors we have access to the NAR's Realtor magazine and I do try to read it to stay up to date with the current news and events but the article about Tech Attack is scary. Please read to the end because I actually think that is the one of the worst stories I have ever heard. We as agents are vulnerable as our name and phone number is everywhere. I had read an Identity Theft article yesterday that said if someone has your phone number they can learn everything about you. I am seriously thinking about getting another phone for only personal use with a closely guarded phone number but I am afraid my data connected to my RE phone is already out of the box and cannot be stuffed back in. Read the article here:
Realtor magazine Tech Attack Article
I personally get several emails a week that are noticably from hacked email accounts. Those emails are in my database of clients or vendors or friends so I get the phishing email. Several have been from agents and I even got the scam "I want to send you a referral" twice. Rather than open it I googled the agent name and called her directly. Her RE company email had been hacked so it looked like susie@majorREcompany.com. She was aware as soon as I explained why I was calling saying that her email had been hacked. Not only was that a problem in her area but they were being hit hard by the wire transfer fraud. Their area has high end homes with a lot of seniors paying cash so it has almost become common up there in the north country to see LOTS of wire fraud happening. She personally knows of several. After that discussion my next two buyer closings brought cashier checks instead of wiring. There are several good articles on AR about the wire transfer fraud--one of which by Pennie Arneson whose client almost lost $1.3 million.
This NAR article is a good read and also a scary one.
How would you like to have your website redirect to a porn website? Lovely.....................
Or to be held hostage on the phone for 5 hours? 
What does that mean? How do you get held hostage on the phone? Read to the end to find out.
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