real estate: Real Estate Fraud Is Booming: How Are You Protecting Your Clients? - 10/10/23 12:45 PM
Data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) point to boom times for real estate fraud. In 2022, real estate fraud cost victims $396.9 million, a 13.30% rise from 2021 and an 86.18% rise from 2020. More than $132 million more was lost to real estate fraud in 2022 than to check and credit card fraud, which get the majority of the headlines.
As the FBI notes, these crimes can be devastating for individuals, who could lose their life savings or the opportunity to use money from a home sale to purchase another property. Loss of a commission or fee is the … (10 comments)

real estate: Lessons Every Worker Can Take from Realtor Safety Month - 09/07/23 11:26 AM
September 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the National Association of Realtors' (NAR) REALTOR® Safety Month. With more than 1,5 million members, the NAR is the largest trade association in the United States, and it has extensive experience working with real estate professionals, law enforcement and government officials to improve on-the-job safety.
It should surprise no one that real estate brokers, appraisers, salespeople and property managers are victims of violent crime, with 23% reporting that they feared for their safety, or the safety of their personal information, in the 2022 NAR Member Safety Residential Report. That is nearly 1 in 4 individuals … (8 comments)

real estate: FTC Safeguards Rule: Real Estate Businesses Must Check Their Status - 05/31/23 11:12 AM
The new FTC Safeguards Rule goes into effect on June 9. Everyone in the real estate industry needs to take note of this and evaluate their need for compliance. Failure to comply can result in fines up to $43,972 per day. There is an above-average chance that your real estate business will be subject to these regulations.
Who Is Subject to the FTC Safeguards Rule in Real Estate?The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) issued a Washington Report update on the Safeguards Rule, outlining who is subject to the new regulations.
You are considered a "financial institution" under the FTC Safeguards rule if--
You … (7 comments)

real estate: Use Caution When Closing on Your New Home - 09/19/22 12:15 PM
It’s Realtor Safety Month. Real estate agents and their clients are targeted by violent criminals and cyber thieves. Statistically, tens of thousands of real estate agents are subjected to violence annually. Wire fraud, where a homebuyer's email or real estate agent's email is hacked, lose millions in various mortgage fraud closing scams. Studies show on average, Americans buy 3 to 5 homes in their lifetime. Chances are, you’re going to be engaged in some form of a real estate transaction in the next 5-10 years. There are a few things to know.   
Think about this for a minute: You have been working … (20 comments)

real estate: Real Estate Scam – The Surveillance Seller - 02/17/21 12:15 PM
Scam? Homeowners surveilling buyers? It’s not so much a scam, unless you consider it to be. Read on.
Pretend, for a moment, that you are looking for a new house with your wife and children. While at the showing, your Realtor gets an urgent call from the listing agent. He informs her that the sellers are watching the showing on camera, and they want to let you know that your kids need to be careful around their china cabinet…
Is this for real? Yes, it is, and it’s pretty creepy. It also raises some ethical and legal concerns. This has become a big … (10 comments)

real estate: Louisiana Woman Tries to Buy a Million Dollar Home with False Document - 12/11/19 06:27 AM
Have you ever seen a house and thought…I wish I could afford that? Some people actually try it, but let this story be a lesson learned: if you can’t afford the cost of a house, you probably shouldn’t try to buy it.
Pamela Chandler was arrested and now faces forgery charges after she tried to purchase a home with a million-dollar price tag. How did she do it? She used false documents. Chandler, who also goes as Pamela Goldwyn, was arrested by a special Financial Crimes Task Force in Bossier City, LA. She also has several warrants out for her in Texas … (3 comments)

real estate: Fake Real Estate Agent Caught Stealing $30K in Jewelry - 07/02/19 06:05 AM
Recently, a man was accused of pretending to be a real estate agent just to steal some jewelry from an open house. According to Toronto police, he has been arrested.
The victims are a couple (their identity isn’t being listed for their safety). They had an open house in a small city called Oakville. It’s in Ontario, which is about an hour west of Toronto (also in Canada). According to the investigators, a 29-year-old man saw an online ad for the open house. He decided to pretend that he was a real estate agent, went inside the home, and stole over $30,000 … (6 comments)

real estate: 10 Tips to Not Ending Up A Dead Real Estate Agent - 03/06/19 05:15 AM
Yes that title is awful and yes you should be offended. Real estate agents often find themselves in dangerous situations. And for 20 years, I’ve been screaming this, doing something about it, and it keeps happening. And the real estate agents and industries response?
Thots and prayers. Thots and prayers. Thots and prayers. Thots and prayers.
How’s that workin’ for ya?
Sometimes you have to visit unsafe neighborhoods, you might have to come face to face with a vicious dog, or even have an unsavory character walk right into an open house.
In 2016, approximately 3% of all real estate agents reported that they were … (13 comments)

real estate: Your Real Estate Agent May Have a Gun - 01/15/19 06:34 AM
If you are thinking of buying a house, and you start going to open houses, you might be surprised to learn an interesting fact: the real estate agent might be carrying a gun. Some of you reading this might have jumped to this article looking for a fight, because in M’erka guns are a controversial subject and why shouldn’t your real estate agent have a gun?
Real estate agents find themselves in precarious situations all of the time. They also might have to travel into neighborhoods that aren’t as safe as your typical bedroom communities. There are wayward dogs to contend with, … (17 comments)

real estate: Fake Realtor scams Children and their Parents - 08/29/16 11:57 PM
Ever peruse Craigslist for a new home? Nothing against Craigslist for doing that, but that’s where Coty Houston and David Yost happened to find a very alluring four-bed home for sale; looked perfect for their five young kids.
Then they all got squashed by a bomb: The man who sold it to them was not a licensed Realtor. Matthew Boros, however, used to be a real estate agent, but he never renewed his license. But this time, he had climbed through the house’s window (after placing an ad for it on Craigslist) and pretended to be the owner, with the plan of … (6 comments)

real estate: 9 Ways to sell your House safely - 10/20/14 10:59 PM
Selling your house can spell a lot of trouble whether you do it yourself or hire a real estate agent. Agents have little training on safety and security and home owners even less so. Here are safety tips.

Prior to a showing, get information on the potential buyer. Google their names to see what comes up. They can also complete a buyer’s questionnaire, seek one online, and you can chat with them on the phone. Find out if the buyer is bringing along young children. Kids get into everything and are hazard to themselves. See if arrangements can be made … (4 comments)

real estate: 11 tips for Real-Estate Agents Safety by Robert L Siciliano - 09/29/14 10:31 PM
We have all heard about the real estate agent who has become a crime statistic. Most of you figure it won’t happen to you. You're right: chances are, it won't. However Real Estate is considered by security experts and law enforcement to be a high-risk profession. Agents are mobile, usually work alone, frequently interact with strangers, and visit unoccupied properties.

Be suspect of everyone. There isn’t any benefit in being paranoid; however, being a little guarded can keep you from getting into a vulnerable situation. Don’t just be wary of a man showing up unaccompanied. Expect them to show up … (14 comments)

real estate: Real Estate Agent a Professional Burglar - 07/21/14 10:29 PM
Does the profession of real estate sales turn someone into a burglar, or, does a burglar one day realize, “Hey, I can make off like a bandit if I sell homes!”?

Ray Glen Greene, 49, was a real estate agent in Cobb County, Georgia, who’d use his agent keycode to get into houses and steal valuables. He was sentenced to 20 years.
His sob story was that he hadn’t sold any homes in a year and pawned stolen jewelry to support himself. He even apologized to the victims who showed up at his trial.
If that’s not entertaining enough, there’s … (2 comments)

 
Robert Siciliano, Realty Security and Identity Theft Expert Speaker (IDTheftSecurity.com Inc)

Robert Siciliano

Realty Security and Identity Theft Expert Speaker

Boston, MA

More about me…

IDTheftSecurity.com Inc

Address: PO Box 15145, Boston, MA, 02215

Office: (617) 329-1182



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