Seller impersonation fraud has rapidly become one of the most alarming forms of real estate crime in the United States, targeting both commercial and residential property transactions. The practice generally involves a criminal posing as a legitimate property owner, using falsified identification documents and forged credentials to illegally transfer ownership to unsuspecting buyers. Ultimately, fraudsters steal the sale proceeds, leaving both the buyer and the rightful owner in legal and financial chaos. These schemes often involve “impersonating the actual owner and recording fake or forged documents in local land records,” resulting in equity loss, property theft, and costly litigation for victims.

Real estate wire fraud remains one of the most common and costly cybercrimes in the United States, especially during property closings, where large sums of money are transferred quickly and often electronically. Each October, as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s essential for buyers, sellers, lenders, and title professionals to understand how wire fraud happens and what steps they can take to prevent it.

Real estate quishing is a growing cyber threat in 2025 that targets homebuyers, sellers, and title professionals during the closing process. Quishing—short for “QR code phishing”—is a modern twist on traditional email scams. Instead of clicking on suspicious links, victims are tricked into scanning fraudulent QR codes with their phones. These attacks are particularly dangerous in the real estate industry, where QR codes are now embedded in closing instructions, wire transfer requests, and digital communication.

Imagine spending hour after hour searching for your dream home and finally finding it. But, as you start to complete all the paperwork and get ready to close an urgent email appears in your inbox. The email appears to be from your agent or attorney or from someone representing the seller urgently requesting for the down payment and other closing costs to be wired today.