Critical information about wiring funds and fraudulent listings

[Bo Wagner]

​I want to remind people that there are so many scams out there right now. If you see a real estate deal that seems 'too good to be true', it may very well be! People in the ATL area have been utilizing Facebook Marketplace and Zillow to market homes they don't own! They also use a law firm/attorney name to try to 'legitimize' the transaction (including previously using our firm name). ​The catch? They send emails from fake email addresses, the phone numbers are eventually disconnected and people are sending earnest money (and purchase money) by wire without confirming the wire information.

​​If you plan to wire funds, it may be fine to receive wire instructions via email--it's what you do after receiving them that is critical. What if someone hacked an email? Who is listed as the receiving party? Is the bank listed local/national? The key thing is to google the recipient separately. If you google them and the numbers match, that's a good sign! Either way, confirm with the recipient before sending a dime. Confirm with the recipient to obtain the routing number for their bank, their account number and any other information they may need. Don't rely on anything without independently verifying yourself!