AI-Created Security Threats to Know About
New AI-generated fraud, including forgery, fake buyers and phishing schemes, has the potential to disrupt real estate transactions.
NEW YORK — Artificial intelligence is fast becoming a go-to technology for real estate agents coast-to-coast, helping to boost productivity. But AI has a darker side. Cybercriminals and scammers are using AI to create more sophisticated, harder-to-detect scams.
Trust and accuracy are required in real estate, making AI-generated fraud particularly dangerous. Today, criminals can use AI to produce fake real estate documents that look entirely legitimate, mimic buyers with disturbingly real personas, and craft emails with links that lead straight to chaos.
For every real estate agent, staying ahead of these threats is crucial to protect yourselves, your clients, and your transactions.
Three new AI-created security threats
1. From seals to signatures: AI forgery grows
A real estate title is legal proof of property ownership, conveying a buyer’s legal rights to their new home or investment. Scammers, however, are now using AI to forge title documents to steal properties right under the noses of buyers and homeowners.
Advanced AI tools have become frighteningly accurate: they can clone the look of authentic titles, complete with official seals, signatures, and watermarks. This isn’t just about editing a few details in Photoshop; AI can analyze thousands of actual titles, learn patterns, and produce documents virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.
An increase in AI-powered real estate fraud represents a serious concern if you are trying to buy or sell a home. Imagine completing a transaction with a forged title, only to discover later that the property belongs to someone else. Such fraud can lead to disruptive consequences for everyone involved, from financial losses to tarnished reputations.
The use of AI means these forgeries can slip by even the most eagle-eyed. That’s why real estate agents must practice secure real estate processes, be diligent in looking for micro-errors, and, when available, turn to advanced verification software whenever possible.
Pro Tip: Always cross-reference any document you receive by contacting the vetted title company to confirm the document’s legitimacy.
2. Fake buyers
Another unsettling trend is the rise of AI-created fake buyers. Scammers can now generate realistic personas to impersonate potential buyers or sellers, complete with personalized backgrounds, social media profiles, and even websites. A common tactic is for cybercriminals to pose as international buyers, tech-savvy investors, or high-net-worth individuals who seem eager to engage but have ulterior motives.
AI that creates fake buyers makes them alarmingly convincing. By pulling information from public sources and constructing a “profile” tailored to appeal to a real estate agent, scammers can develop profiles that seem credible, complete with social media accounts.
Initially, a fake buyer may ask simple questions about the local market or pretend to be interested in a property, but eventually, they will try to convince an agent that they have an urgent need to buy. Accelerated sales are often a smokescreen to try to advance a transaction so that not all the normal due diligence boxes are checked.
The fallout can be catastrophic, as an agent, since you may invest your time and resources while unknowingly engaging with a fictional entity who wants to defraud you. To guard against fraud, you must verify buyer identities early on in your conversations with prospective clients and rely on transparent communication channels and background-checking software like Forewarn to identify suspicious behavior before it’s too late.
Pro Tip: Be sure to dig deep into social media profiles, as most buyer profiles typically have a longer, more detailed digital history than fake ones.
3. AI phishing schemes
AI-powered phishing emails are becoming practically a daily occurrence. AI is turning phishing emails from obvious scams to near-flawless imitations of legitimate ones. AI has access to an unprecedented amount of data, giving it the ability to craft phishing emails that seem highly personalized, often including real phone numbers or addresses and details that align with a legitimate business.
Emails might look like an official notification to approve a login attempt, verify a recent charge, or confirm a password change. It could appear as a notice from a bank about a trust deposit or a message from a well-known title company about confirming a wire transfer.
These emails are particularly dangerous for real estate agents, who often field countless emails each day. You can no longer identify fraudulent emails by looking for poor grammar or fuzzy logos. These AI-generated emails can contain highly convincing content, making it easy to dupe the recipient.
Phone calls from real numbers in the email can be part of these scams and add another layer of deception. The links in the email are the real threat. These digital fraudsters aim to have you click links that infect your computers, compromise client information, or gain access to your computer or internal systems.
Even initial multi-factor authentication may not be enough, as cybercriminals are finding ways to use AI to bypass MFA solutions.
Remaining aware is critical. Real estate agents must look carefully at every email, especially those that prompt you to click on a link or download an attachment. Verification is vital: whenever you have the slightest doubt, don’t click. It’s better to be cautious and reach out to the source directly, preferably by phone, and avoid clicking any embedded links.
Pro tip: Hover your cursor – or right mouse click – over any link in an email to see where it leads. If the URL looks suspicious or doesn’t match the official domain of the supposed sender, do not click.
Staying vigilant
AI-driven scams are becoming more common, increasing the need for real estate agents to remain vigilant. Fake titles, AI-generated buyers, and convincing phishing emails aren’t just hypothetical threats; they’re here now and becoming more sophisticated and believable. Staying informed, implementing rigorous verification processes, and trusting in secure systems are the best defenses real estate agents can use to battle against complex scams.
More waves of cyber threats in real estate are coming. Well-prepared real estate agents will ask the hard questions, trust their instincts, and continue educating themselves about emerging risks.
AI will continue to be used by bad actors, but an informed and vigilant real estate community can slow down or stop many threats. The good news is that real estate agents have an ally to help. If you need advice on spotting AI threats, learning how to make your systems more secure, or better understanding the pluses and minuses of AI, Tech Helpline is here to help, and an analyst is available with a click, call, or text – and ready to assist you.
Source: Tech HelpLine
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