The con is older than the internet–but all the more powerful in a real estate industry locked down by a pandemic and increasingly dependent on cyber-transactions. The digital scam nearly upended a deal just hours before closing. Willow Glen agent Don Sabatini led his client, a savvy, professional woman with grown children, through the months-long […]
Holiday Gift: Smart TV Security
In a pre-holiday message to consumers, an FBI field office is warning that “smart TVs” — televisions equipped with internet streaming and facial recognition capabilities–may be vulnerable to intrusion. In addition to outlining how new advanced technological features risk allowing television manufacturers and app developers to snoop on consumers, the bureau says malicious cyber actors can also […]
Attack on REALTOR® Hits Home
An agent was holding an open house for a property in Encino a week ago, when she was attacked by a male visitor. The agent had remembered seeing the man at a previous open house, and recalls him asking her to check something on the plumbing for the washer and dryer, and she said he […]
Sept. 23 CVAR At A Glance
Featured Classes and Events Sept. 23 | CRMLS Training – CVAR West – Free Sept. 24 | Solar 101 – Lunch & Learn – All Locations Sept. 24-26 | REimagine Conference & Expo Sept. 27 | Ethics Replay – Code of Ethics Training – All Locations Oct. 3 | Committees & Cocktails Oct. 8 | Business […]
Is Safety the Last Thing You Think About?
Whether you’re alone for a showing or suddenly confronted with an incidence of workplace violence, Officer Jeff Liberman has tips for real estate professionals that could save their lives. CVAR hosted Liberman, a law enforcement officer with the Long Beach Police Department, along with FBI cybercrime expert Ron Manuel (he could not be photographed, so […]
Arrests in Cybercrime Ring Targeting Real Estate
Authorities in the United States and Africa arrested eight people for alleged involvement in an international online fraud scheme that targeted Crye-Leike, a real estate company based in Memphis, Tenn., as well as other entities. The suspects, along with four others who are still at large, are accused of attacking computer servers and using bogus […]
3 Ways for Clients to Prevent Wire Fraud
It’s your buyer’s worst nightmare: Everything is a go for purchasing the house of their dreams and in the next moment, the entire down payment is gone with little hope in getting it back. Wire fraud has happened all across the country to buyers who have fallen prey to a phishing scam, resulting in losses […]
July 31 – CVAR At A Glance
Featured Classes and Events Aug. 3 | Citrus Valley Caravan – Flipping 101 Aug. 3 | CVAR Commercial Forum – Free! Aug. 3-29 | Free zipForm Webinars Aug. 7 | CRMLS Training – Free! Aug. 9 | New Member Orientation Aug. 11 | zipForm® Mobile Aug. 11 | zipForm® Mobile Live Stream – CVAR West […]
Cyberscams: Down Payment Thefts on the Rise
Laurie K. Schenden CVAR Communications Manager Can your clients stand to lose $130,000? That’s the average amount of money stolen in a single real estate transaction in Los Angeles County by cyber thieves, costing Los Angeles $5 million a month, the FBI reported in July. Cyber scams, which first surfaced in 2013, trick home buyers […]
Cyber Crime Emerges as Hot Topic at REvive 2017
FBI Supervisory Special Agent Michael Sohn warns about a growing threat to real estate pros. Real estate transactions are an easy mark for cyber thieves, and cyber crimes emerged as a recurring theme at the 5th annual Real Estate REvive Conference & Expo last week at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center in Rancho Cucamonga. […]