Stay Safe Online

Threats are no longer just a reality in our physical world – they’re everywhere online, too. It’s your responsibility as a REALTOR® to know how to protect yourself and your clients from cyber scams. Here’s a breakdown of some common types of online scams, and how to avoid becoming a victim.

Major events are accompanied by a new wave of Phishing scams.

Believe it or not, with events like the Rio Olympics taking place, the number of Rio-based Phishing scams have increased. Scam artists will create fake domains or email blasts with “Rio2016” included in them to appear legitimate. This is actually one of the most effective ways of scamming innocent people. The thieves behind Phishing are seeking confidential banking card data or are looking to do harm to your computer. Be cautious of those too-good-to-be-true grand event opportunities that float across your screen or your inboxes.

LinkedIn is a perfect excuse to steal information.

It typically looks like an email with a vague subject line such as “LinkedIn Update” and a generic salutation such as “Dear LinkedIn User.” These are red flags. If an email of this nature appears and uses poor grammar, threatens your account or attaches an unfamiliar link, mark it as spam immediately and reach out to the LinkedIn Safety Center.

Consider capitalizing on IT Professionals.

The majority of office employees, from the CEO to their personal assistant, know very little about how to catch phishing scams. Take advantage of the professionals in IT who know what signs to look for and can easily and quickly educate your company or department on how to be smarter online.

The devil is literally in the details.

Usually malware and Phishing emails contain small giveaways that signal they’re of a malicious nature. It could be a very obvious spelling or grammar error, an extra underscore or symbol in their username, or a phone number that doesn’t match the company’s. They almost always include a statement meant to threaten or incite fear about terminating your account or believing previously-entered info to be incorrect. No professional company will include a threat in its communications.

Watch out for social media comments.

According to the security firm Proofpoint, social media phishing attempts have risen 150% in a year. With link-shortening software like Bitly taking root, the malicious links that once were a lot easier to spot can now be disguised. This gives scammers a chance to comment on social media posts with eye-catching headlines or fake online discounts, attaching their link with other users none-the-wiser. One of your clients might think they are communicating with your Twitter account when it is in fact a falsified account. Make sure you are clear with your clients from the start in your methods of communication and account names so your clients don’t fall victim to a clever phisher.

Be wary of giving information over the phone.

Most organizations will not take personal information or payments over the phone. This is an easy way to catch a phishing scam! Help your clients keep a weather eye out so at the possibility they are told over the phone by a phisher that the only way to pay is over the phone, then they know it isn’t real. On a similar note, pop-ups and remote software are other dangerous venues for Phishing and Malware to work its way onto a computer and steal personal information. If the method of communication does not feel right, gut check it with any of these guidelines.