Real estate transactions involve large sums of money, sensitive information and frequent digital communication, making the industry an attractive target for cybercriminals.
According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received more than 1 million complaints in 2025, with reported losses totaling approximately $20.9 billion, a 26% increase from 2024.
For REALTORS®, two areas stand out:
- Real estate fraud
- Business Email Compromise (BEC)
Real Estate Fraud: $275 Million in Reported Losses
In 2025, the FBI received 12,368 real estate fraud complaints, representing more than $275 million in reported losses.
Real estate professionals should also pay attention to BEC, a type of fraud that targets individuals and businesses making wire transfers. The FBI reported 24,768 BEC complaints and more than $3 billion in losses in 2025.
These scams can be especially dangerous during a real estate transaction. A criminal may impersonate a title company, financial institution or other trusted party and send fraudulent wiring instructions at a time when the buyer is already expecting to transfer funds.
AI Is Making Scams More Convincing
The FBI also warns that criminals are increasingly using artificial intelligence to create more convincing messages, profiles and other content. That means poor grammar or an unusual-looking email can no longer be relied upon as obvious signs of fraud.
A professional-looking message is not necessarily a legitimate one.
Help Clients Verify Before They Send
REALTORS® can help clients establish good security habits early in the transaction:
- Verify wiring instructions independently using a previously confirmed phone number.
- Question changes to payment instructions, even when the message appears legitimate.
- Be cautious of urgency or requests demanding immediate action.
- Check email addresses carefully for subtle changes.
- Use multi-factor authentication on email and business accounts.
Most importantly, encourage clients to verify before they wire.
If Fraud Happens, Time Is Critical
The FBI emphasizes that victims of fraudulent transfers should act immediately.
Contact the financial institution involved and request a recall of the funds, then file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and include complete transaction information. IC3 may be able to assist financial institutions and law enforcement with attempts to freeze stolen funds.
The FBI's Financial Fraud Kill Chain process demonstrates how important quick reporting can be. In 2025, the program addressed 3,900 incidents involving nearly $1.164 billion in attempted theft and helped freeze approximately $679 million, representing a 58% success rate.
Cybersecurity Is Part of Protecting the Transaction
The 2025 Internet Crime Report is a reminder that cybercrime is not simply an IT problem. For real estate professionals, it can become a transaction problem, a client problem and a financial problem very quickly.
REALTORS® do not need to become cybersecurity experts, but they can help create a culture of verification around every transaction.
Slow down when money is involved. Verify requests through a trusted second channel. Encourage clients to do the same.
A thirty-second phone call could help protect a lifetime of savings.
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