Not long ago, I got an email from a colleague with a “Request for Proposal” attached. The name was right and the email address was right. It was their real account.
They hadn’t sent it, though. Their email account had been compromised, and someone else was using it to send a fake RFP with an attachment. It could happen to any of us. Every one of us has an inbox full of people who trust us.
That’s what makes these scams work. The sender was real. The request wasn’t. And the same playbook shows up in real estate deals, where the stakes are often a down payment or a seller’s entire proceeds.
The first check is simple. Before you open anything, ask: would this person normally send this as an attachment? If the answer is no, or you aren’t sure, call them at a number you already know before you click.
Here are the scams I want every buyer, seller, landlord and investor in Kitsap to know about.
This post is general information. It isn’t legal, financial or IT advice.
1. Changed wiring instructions (the big one)
Here’s how it usually works. A criminal gets into an email account: yours, your agent’s, your lender’s or the title company’s. Then they watch quietly. They learn the names, the closing date and the amount. Right before closing, an email arrives with “updated” wiring instructions. It might come from a look-alike address that’s one letter off, or from the real, hacked account. The account it points to belongs to the criminal. The National Association of REALTORS® describes this exact pattern in its consumer guide to wire fraud.
The numbers are big. In its 2025 Internet Crime Report, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported $275 million in real estate fraud losses in 2025, up from about $174 million in 2024. Business email compromise, the hacked-email scheme behind wire fraud, accounted for about $3 billion in reported losses across all industries.
The red flag is any change. Title companies, escrow officers and lenders don’t suddenly switch how you pay, especially by email at the last minute. Treat a change as fraud until you’ve verified it by phone.
2. Seller impersonation
This one targets owners. A scammer poses as the owner of a property, usually vacant land or a home with no mortgage, and tries to sell it out from under the real owner. They use fake IDs, new email accounts and internet phone numbers. The FBI issued a public warning about this in June 2026. The American Land Title Association (ALTA) says vacant land is the top target, and that owners who live elsewhere, own free and clear, or recently passed away are also common targets.
Red flags from the FBI and ALTA:
- The “seller” will only communicate by email, text or an internet phone number, and won’t meet in person or on video.
- They want a quick sale, often all cash and below market.
- They want to use their own notary, or they can’t attend the signing.
- They want the proceeds wired, sometimes to an account out of state.
If you own vacant land or a free-and-clear rental, pay attention to any mail, calls or offers about a sale you didn’t start.
3. Fake DocuSign and file-share links
“Please review and sign.” The email looks like DocuSign, Dropbox or a shared document. The link opens a login page that looks real but is built to capture your email password.
This is often how wire fraud starts. Once someone is in your inbox, they can read your transaction and send instructions from your real account.
DocuSign’s own safety advice:
- Hover over links before you click. Real DocuSign envelope notifications come from docusign.net.
- Instead of clicking, go to docusign.com yourself and use the envelope’s security code under “Access Documents.”
- Forward suspicious DocuSign emails to verify@docusign.com.
4. Rental listing scams and spoofed calls
Rental listing scams. A scammer copies a real listing’s photos, or makes one up, and advertises it for rent well below the area. The “owner” is often out of the country, and they want a deposit by wire, gift card or crypto before you’ve seen the inside. The Federal Trade Commission’s advice is to never pay that way, and to check county property records to see who actually owns the home.
Spoofed calls and texts. The Washington State Attorney General’s Office puts it plainly: don’t trust your caller ID. Scammers can fake the name and number. If “escrow” or “the bank” calls or texts about money, hang up. Then call back at a number you look up yourself or already have. Voices and images can be faked now, too. If a call sounds exactly like your agent or escrow officer but asks for money or a change, hang up and call the number you already have.
Before you click or wire: a checklist
- ☐ Get wiring instructions in person, or confirm them by phone at a number you already have. Don’t use a number from the email.
- ☐ Treat any change to payment instructions as fraud until you’ve verified it.
- ☐ Call to confirm the money arrived, right after you send it.
- ☐ Turn on 2-step verification for your email.
- ☐ Open documents from the website, not from the email link.
- ☐ Ask yourself: would this person normally send this as an attachment?
- ☐ Own vacant land or a free-and-clear rental? Watch for activity you didn’t start.
Want to practice spotting fakes? Try Google’s free Phishing Quiz.
Our rule at Revival Realty LLC: We will never email you changed wiring instructions. Always call your escrow officer at a number you already have.
If it happens to you: the first hour
Speed matters more than anything. The FBI’s Recovery Asset Team works with banks to freeze stolen funds. In 2025 it froze $679 million of the $1.16 billion in the cases it worked, about 58%. Your odds are best when the report comes fast.
- Call your bank immediately. Ask its fraud department to recall the wire. ALTA’s wire fraud response plan also suggests asking about the FBI’s Financial Fraud Kill Chain.
- File a complaint at IC3.gov, whatever the amount, with as much transaction detail as you have.
- Call your escrow or title officer and your agent at numbers you already know, so they can alert everyone involved.
- Secure your email. Change your passwords and turn on 2-step verification.
- Report it locally, too. Contact local police. You can also report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.
If anything about your transaction feels off, call me. I’d much rather get a “this is probably nothing” call than learn about it after the money has moved.
Sources: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report; FBI IC3 Public Service Announcement I-061626-PSA (June 16, 2026); American Land Title Association, Seller Impersonation Fraud resources and Rapid Response Plan for Wire Fraud Incidents (2026); National Association of REALTORS®, Consumer Guide: How to Protect Against Real Estate Wire Fraud; Federal Trade Commission, Rental Listing Scams; Docusign Safety Center; Washington State Attorney General’s Office, Robocall and Telemarketing Scams; Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, Escrow Industry Update (Spring 2025).
Kristel Daugherty is the Managing Broker of Revival Realty LLC in Kitsap County, Washington. This article is general information only. It is not legal, financial or IT advice. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Revival Realty LLC · Kristel Daugherty, Managing Broker