REALTORS^® love a good lead and in the recent market conditions, consumers are jumping at chances to enter the market. But it’s important to remember that not every lead is legitimate.

Scams continue to revolve through the industry on a national scale and CREB^® members are not immune to being targeted. Vetting a request before responding or providing any information is an important step in preventing potential fraudulent transactions.

Please take a minute to review these questions and keep them top of mind when you receive an email request to put in an offer for someone that you’ve never met.

• Do you know the individual or are you comfortable with how they came to learn about you?
• Are you able to meet with this person virtually or in person?
• Are there any barriers to communication such as no phone or spotty internet?
• Do they want to put an offer on a property, sight unseen?

If you encounter a situation that seems a bit off, take some extra time to consider your next steps. As a reminder, all real estate transactions are subject to FINTRAC reporting requirements, so if you’re looking to identify an individual virtually or using other means than in person identification, speak with your brokerage’s FINTRAC Compliance Officer and review brokerage policies and procedures.

Do you think that you’ve received a scam email? Check out the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for more details on steps you can take to report a scam.