Back in October, the MAR Report issued a scam alert as part of Cyber Security Awareness Month, and we’ve been posting often about HUGE scams that are threatening Berkshire REALTORS and their clients.  The most common scam currently affecting the real estate industry is known as the “Business E-mail Compromise” or “BEC.”

Massachusetts Association of REALTORS leadership also met with the Boston Economic Crime Squad of the FBI on Friday, March 4th, 2016. Together, the FBI and MAR agreed to increase awareness of these scams and educate REALTORS on ways to avoid and report the scam.  This guide was created to share an introduction to the scheme, common variations, suggestions for protecting yourself, and, most importantly, how and when to report the matter to the BFO-FBI. Print, e-mail, and/or share this document with your co-workers, and clients so everyone is prepared to react should the need arise.