Cape Town - After a recent high court case in which the judge awarded R5.5 million to a woman whose email accounts were hacked by cyber-criminals during the home-buying process, estate agents have warned the public about increasingly sophisticated online property scams.
Lew Geffen Sotheby Southern Suburbs and False Bay realtor Arnold Maritz said: “There are a number of audacious hoaxes to be wary of, including those run by syndicates that have people who very convincingly pose as estate agents, sellers and registered attorneys.”
Maritz said that in one scam, a syndicate member posed as the owner and the property was transferred and proceeds paid without the seller being aware that their property had been sold.
Maritz said electronic communication scams were quite sophisticated and entailed a phishing-type email aimed at intercepting email correspondence of one of the parties, and the progress of the transaction was then monitored, with the fraudster sometimes even brazenly phoning for updates.
“Shortly before payment is due, they send an email from an almost identical email address notifying the purchaser or conveyancer of a change in bank details.
The email addresses are sometimes so similar that it’s easy to miss the small discrepancy.”
Re/Max Living broker Susan Watts said: “We are aware of an individual pretending to be a Re/Max Living rental agent.
“This is a scam and the address being used is [email protected], which is not an address that we own or use. We have reported the address.”
Pointing out that consumers should be wary, Watts said: “Agents should always have a copy of their FFC (Fidelity Fund Certificate – a property practitioner’s licence to trade) and it is the client’s right to see the FFC.”
She said clients should always do at least three Google searches to ensure that they were working with a reputable agent.
Google the cell number the agent is using to correspond with you; Google their email address and check that the email address corresponds exactly with a reputable brand online and Google the portal on which you submitted your enquiry.
“Any property on such a portal should also be on the agency’s own website, so if it’s not that is a reason to be wary.”
Watts said some giveaways of a fake social media profile were if the profile was newly created and if there were very few posts and friend connections on it.
Meanwhile, the province has also warned Western Cape residents of online housing scams.
Provincial Human Settlements spokesperson Muneera Allie said residents should beware of online housing scams that requested payment for government housing assistance.
“The department recently learnt of a WhatsApp message that is being circulated, claiming to assist residents to receive a house within two weeks. Residents are then requested to pay R2 300 for the approval letter and title deed in order to receive a housing opportunity.”
She said specific areas targeted included Khayelitsha, Stellenbosch, Montana Paarl and Mitchells Plain.
