The North Carolina Department of Justice is warning real estate agents and companies about an email scam aimed at potential home buyers.
According to a release from the department, scammers are reportedly hacking into real estate agents' email accounts and stealing information about pending deals.
When the hackers see a closing date is set for a sale, they then contact the prospective buyers by email — pretending to be their real estate agent.
"In the email, they explain that a last minute change has been made and the buyer's closing costs need to be wired to a different account than the one stated previously," according to the release.
Cynthia Walsh, a spokeswoman for the Brunswick County Association of Realtors, said this type of scam is happening all over the country and she is aware some home buyers in Brunswick County have fallen victim to it.
She said the National Association of Realtors has been releasing warnings since 2015, but the scam has become more prevalent.
Walsh said it is always a good idea to change email passwords occasionally, and those passwords should have several special characters.
She also said that an attorney or real estate agent will never send last minute instructions involving wiring money without calling to confirm.
"Once that wire has left the bank there is almost no unwinding that clock," Walsh said. "It's heartbreaking."
According to the release, N.C. consumers have reported losing tens of thousands of dollars to this type of fraud scam.
The department advised potential home buyers working with a realtor on a purchase to never send account information by email and before moving forward with any transaction, to verify the information in person or over the phone.
