Cybercrime & Transaction Fraud Certification (CTF)

Real estate transactions are attractive targets for cybercriminals. Every deal involves sensitive personal data, large sums of money changing hands, and multiple parties communicating primarily through digital channels. With cybercriminals becoming smarter and more resourceful, the risk of scams like wire fraud, deepfake impersonations, rental scams, and title theft is growing.

Cybercrime in real estate isn't a fringe issue. It's a pressing concern. Criminals exploit the trust, urgency, and remote communications typical in real estate transactions. For instance, wire fraud incidents have risen dramatically, with homebuyers losing down payments to criminals posing as trusted professionals. The rise of AI technology and deepfakes means scammers can now convincingly impersonate clients, agents, and even title officers through video and voice.

The Cybercrime & Transaction Fraud Certification (CTF) covers five key topics, each addressing specific types of cybercrime and fraud impacting real estate professionals today.

Course Content

This five-hour course covers the following five topics:

1. Business Email Compromise (BEC) & Wire Fraud - Learn how cybercriminals infiltrate real estate transactions via email, impersonate trusted parties, and redirect critical funds through fraudulent wire instructions. We'll teach you the signs to watch for and robust verification methods to prevent costly mistakes.
2. Deepfakes and AI Imposters - Artificial intelligence is changing the fraud landscape. You'll discover how scammers use voice cloning, fake videos, and synthetic identities to impersonate real estate professionals, clients, or title officers, and how you can verify identities and protect against these advanced threats.
3. Rental Scams and Fake Listings - Rental scams aren't just a renter’s problem. They can involve real listings hijacked by scammers, affecting agents and property owners too. This topic covers how scammers create fake listings, common tricks they use, and how to quickly identify and shut down fraudulent activities.
4. Mobile Device Scams - Your smartphone or tablet is a portable office, and also a target for identity thieves. Learn how phishing texts, malicious apps, SIM-swapping, and unsecured networks can put you at risk, and how to secure your mobile devices and communications.
5. House Stealing and Title Fraud - One of the most alarming frauds in real estate is house stealing, where criminals forge deeds and transfer property ownership without the rightful owner’s knowledge. We'll cover how these schemes unfold, the critical red flags to recognize, and proven verification and prevention strategies.

Designation Requirements

Students must complete all five units, which will take approximately five hours of study time. Each unit is made up of reading material, tips and tricks, small assessment activities, a review video, and an end-of-unit quiz. Progress is saved if you need to take a break. 

After completing all course activities, a certificate recognizing your newfound knowledge of Cybercrime & Transaction Fraud will be emailed to your registered email address within 1 business day.