5 Common Real Estate Scams and How to Avoid Them
If you’re buying or selling a home right now, scams are no longer just a rare or distant risk; they’re part of the housing market landscape. Real estate transactions involve large sums of money, tight timelines, and multiple parties. That makes them a prime target for fraud. And increasingly, scammers are getting a powerful assist from artificial intelligence (AI). According to the FBI’s latest Internet Crime Complaint Center report, cyber-enabled fraud now accounts for the vast majority of reported losses, with total losses surpassing $20 billion in 2025 alone. Source: IC3.gov (FBI Internet Crime Report 2025) Criminals are using technology to impersonate, intercept communications, and create highly convincing messages and images that are harder to spot than ever. AI is fueling real estate scams The FBI notes that cyber threats are continuing to evolve alongside emerging technologies, enabling scammers to operate faster, scale their attacks, and make their outreach feel more pe...