Selling a home this summer exposes sellers to significant risks as criminals exploit public property records and data brokers to target victims. These scammers use exposed information to facilitate identity theft or real estate wire fraud. By taking proactive steps to secure your personal data and verify transaction details, you can protect your finances during the home-selling process.
How do criminals target home sellers?
Criminals monitor public records, such as deeds and property transfers, to identify recent home sellers. These records often reveal names, addresses, and sale prices, providing scammers with a roadmap to target individuals during a vulnerable transition. Furthermore, online real estate listings can expose floor plans, security system details, and photos of valuables. Data brokers then aggregate this information, selling curated consumer profiles to scammers who use the data to facilitate fraud or identity theft.
Understanding how these home sale scams operate is the first step toward safety. Beyond data exposure, sellers face the risk of real estate wire fraud. Scammers may impersonate title companies or escrow officers near the closing date, sending fake wiring instructions. Always verify payment details by calling the closing professional directly using a trusted, independently sourced phone number rather than relying on contact information provided in unexpected emails or text messages.
How can you protect your personal data?
To reduce risk, sellers should contact their local county government to inquire about redacting sensitive property records. It is also advisable to blur your property on digital map services like Google and Apple Maps. Additionally, homeowners can request that real estate agents remove detailed floor plans and interior photos from listings. Using data removal services or manually submitting opt-out requests to people-search sites can further limit the information available to potential scammers.
