Maryland Real Estate Licensee Alert

This is a Maryland Department of Labor Alert.

Licensee Alert! Fake E-mail Regarding Your License Renewal and Personal Information

We recently learned about an e-mail scam potentially targeting our customers and claiming to have been sent from our agency. As one of our licensees or stakeholders, you may have received this fraudulent e-mail containing the subject line, “Maryland Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing Important Notices.” The e-mail warns of “delay and future problems” in renewing a 2021 license if you do not click a link in the message urging you to “validate your profile.”

This e-mail is a scam.

If you received the e-mail, please delete it immediately and do not click on the link it contains. The Maryland Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing will never ask you to provide us with personal information through e-mail, such as your:

• Updated licensee profile data or password
• Social security number or tax identification number
• Bank account or credit card information
• Answers to any ID questions like your mother’s maiden name

Also, we will never direct you to contact a third-party payment processor like Western Union or ask you to download any attachments in order to renew your license or update your record.

Reset your password if you clicked the VALIDATE PROFILE HERE link in the e-mail.

If you received the fake e-mail and were not able to spot it as a phishing attempt, you may have clicked the suspicious link in the message. If you did, please take the following steps:

1. Visit your board or commission’s website and follow the instructions to reset your password on our secure servers. From our homepage, you can find a list of all of our units along the left sidebar. If you are unsure about how to navigate your board/commission’s menu items, please contact them directly via e-mail.
2. Change your password on any other sites where you use the same password.
3. If you think any of your financial details may have been compromised, contact your bank. 

To read tips about preventing identity theft, and to learn about how to resolve errors on your credit report if your identity is stolen, please visit the website of the Maryland Department of Labor's Financial Regulation Division.

For more information about avoiding common scams, please visit the Federal Trade Commission’s help page for advice and useful resources.