This safety alert was released from a neighboring association. Please share with all your colleagues.
Someone is targeting female real estate agents in the Southeastern Massachusetts area and is trying to start-up a conversations with them, AND in multiple instances, tried to setup a private meeting.
In two cases, the REALTOR® received a text message from their Broker asking them to “chat”, but the number was spoofed and the broker had not contacted that agent. In another case, the REALTOR® received a call from the Bristol County Sheriffs Office asking them to turn themselves in to a specific address because of a warrant. Again, the number was spoofed because the call-back number was actually the Sheriff’s Department. In some cases, these requests are coming through online lead generation sites.
Please remember these important safety tips when dealing with the public:
- Always be cautious when replying back to an unsolicited email/text/phone call and don’t assume that the contact information in the message is accurate.
- Contact the message sender directly to confirm, using a phone number that you know is correct, or by looking up the phone number.
- If the email/text/phone call appears to be fraudulent, call your local authorities, the Sheriff’s Department or contact the FBI via the Internet Crimes Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov
ALSO, be sure to discuss office safety policies with your broker and other agents. For more safety tips, you can log on to www.nar.realtor/safety