Real Estate Fraud: What Regulators Are Reporting

California · 2026-10-01

California Department of Real Estate (DRE) · Alert · other (advance-fee loan scam; impersonation of licensed lenders) · both

DRE warned that upfront-fee loan scams are returning, in which a scammer either uses a legitimate loan originator or lender's license or creates a false license and promises no-money-down financing with a refundable fee that becomes non-refundable once paid. DRE reminded readers that advance fees require a DRE pre-approved agreement and urged consumers and agents to confirm licenses on DRE's website before paying anything.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2026-09-30

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Guidance · seller impersonation (buyer agent duties) · licensees

The Commission's Deputy Legal Counsel wrote that seller impersonation fraud continues to hit vacant land, inherited and absentee-owned property, using forged IDs, fake notarizations and AI-generated video. It tells buyer agents not to assume a listing is legitimate because it is in the MLS or because the listing agent says the seller was checked, states that buyer agents have their own responsibility to exercise reasonable skill, care and diligence, lists ten red flags, gives nine questions to ask the listing side, and says to involve the closing attorney and advise the buyer before money moves.

The only regulator item in the window addressed to buyer agents.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2026-09-30

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · seller impersonation · licensees

The October 2026 Disciplinary Actions page carries four fake-seller entries. A Cornelius broker who listed vacant land for an impersonator after checking only a phone number on an app received a six-month suspension effective February 10, 2026, stayed on conditions, and refunded his commission; a Fayetteville broker who advertised vacant land for a purported overseas seller without taking reasonable steps to confirm identity received a 12-month suspension effective August 1, 2026, stayed after one month active, and his firm received a 12-month suspension fully stayed; a Raleigh broker who listed and sold a vacant lot for a purported California owner whose ID did not match public records received a three-month suspension effective September 1, 2026, stayed after one month active.

The Fayetteville firm acted as dual agent, so it also represented the buyer.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Ontario · 2026-09-28

Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) · Discipline · other (forged or falsified documents in a real estate transaction) · both

A broker with a Toronto brokerage, who had been served a proposal to revoke registration in September 2025 over concerns about forged or falsified documents in a real estate transaction, withdrew his appeal and agreed to a settlement. The settlement imposes a six-month suspension effective November 1, 2026, conditions on registration, an education course and a $20,000 payment.

Also on the Registrar Proposals list: Additional regulator source

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Ohio · 2026-09-09

Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing (Department of Commerce) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · licensees

The Division said scammers are sending emails that impersonate REPL, use its logo, and ask licensees to click a link to confirm their contact details to keep their license in good standing, from addresses that do not end in com.ohio.gov. It told its more than 55,000 licensees not to click or download, to delete such messages, to contact the Division directly if unsure, and to report suspicious emails, noting this was the second such incident reported in 2026.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Maine · 2026-08-20

Maine Real Estate Commission · Rule change · seller impersonation; deed/title fraud · licensees

The Commission proposed and then voted unanimously to adopt amendments to Chapter 410 adding Section 13(4), which requires an affiliated licensee to take reasonable steps to confirm the identity of a seller and the seller's legal authority to transfer the property before entering a brokerage agreement or providing brokerage services, with increased diligence in higher-risk situations such as non-resident sellers and unimproved land. The rulemaking notice states the Commission is responding to a legislative committee's request to adopt further rule changes to combat deed fraud; the hearing was July 22, 2026 and comments closed August 3, 2026.

Adoption vote recorded in draft Aug 20, 2026 minutes (Additional regulator source no effective date published as of Oct 18, 2026.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Utah · 2026-08-19

Utah Division of Real Estate (Utah Real Estate Commission) · Discipline · wire fraud (federal conspiracy conviction) · licensees

A Lindon sales agent pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy to commit wire fraud, admitting he intentionally omitted material facts and failed to disclose commissions to induce investors in unbuilt properties, personally receiving $305,904.28 in commissions, and did not report the plea to the Division. His license was revoked and he was ordered to pay an $8,000 civil penalty.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Utah · 2026-08-19

Utah Division of Real Estate (Utah Real Estate Commission) · Discipline · elder exploitation (listing manipulation and purchase from a neighbor over 65) · licensees

A Salt Lake County sales agent listed the home of a neighbor over 65 with alleged cognitive degeneration, then without the owner's knowledge changed prices and concessions, withdrew and duplicated the listing, had the neighbor sign a commission agreement, bought the property herself with an undisclosed interest-free loan from the neighbor and took a commission above the agreement. She admitted breach of fiduciary duty and participating in a transaction using a false device, and her license was revoked.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Ontario · 2026-08-17

Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) · Discipline · other (alleged illegitimate investment scheme with misappropriated investor funds) · both

RECO issued a proposal to revoke the registration of a registrant alleged to have operated an illegitimate investment scheme and misappropriated investor funds, and to have failed to disclose financial obligations and made false statements on a renewal application. This is a proposal, not a final decision.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

South Carolina · undated (2026-08)

South Carolina Real Estate Commission (LLR) · Rule change · seller impersonation; deed/title fraud (new criminal offenses) · licensees

The Commission's 2026 Legislative Updates newsletter summarizes H.3387 (effective June 30, 2026), which creates a misdemeanor for listing or advertising residential property for sale while knowing the purported seller lacks legal title or authority, or renting it while knowing the lessor lacks an ownership or leasehold interest, punishable by up to 30 days and a fine up to $1,000. It also describes a misdemeanor for knowingly and willfully presenting a false lease, deed or other instrument conveying real property rights, punishable by up to one year.

Document undated; file name reads 8.7.26.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Michigan · 2026-08-04

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (government imposter scam) · both

LARA, with the Attorney General and DIFS, warned that scammers are posing as state agencies and officials, using spoofed phone numbers and official-sounding language, and telling LARA licensees they must pay or share personal information immediately to avoid license suspension, legal action or arrest. LARA said it never asks for credit card numbers or personal information by phone, text, email or mail; the release applies to all LARA licensees and does not name real estate specifically.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Ontario · 2026-08-04

Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) · Discipline · elder exploitation (high-interest mortgages for vulnerable senior borrowers; false mortgage applications) · both

RECO issued proposals to refuse renewal of registration for two registrants, one alleged to have arranged high-interest mortgages for vulnerable senior borrowers without ensuring suitability or disclosing risks and conflicts and to have given false or misleading information in mortgage applications, and the other alleged to have failed to ensure compliance with mortgage legislation. Both are also alleged to have failed to disclose regulatory proceedings and made false statements on renewal applications; these are proposals, not final decisions.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Arizona · undated (2026-08)

Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE) · Guidance · deed/title fraud (seller impersonation covered) · both

ADRE published an escrow opt-in form for its Early Real Estate Sales Alert System (ERAS), a free voluntary service that notifies a registered owner when a pending sale matches their property. The form states that property-related deed fraud is an increasing and dangerous threat to Arizona property owners and that if the person attempting to sell the property is not the actual owner, the alert notifies the true owner.

PDF carries no date; it sits in the site's August 2026 folder and the service is on the Oct 7, 2026 Advisory Board agenda. Service page: Additional regulator source

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

British Columbia · 2026-07-29

BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) · Guidance · other (identity confirmation and transaction integrity for mortgage licensees) · licensees

BCFSA published a guideline for mortgage licensees under the new Mortgage Services Act that sets out when and how they must confirm the identity of clients, borrowers and lenders, and requires them to notify parties in writing when identity cannot be confirmed. It tells licensees to confirm that a borrower or seller has legal authority to proceed, to check that application and sale documents are accurate and consistent, to treat an inability to confirm identity as a signal of elevated fraud risk, and to escalate concerns before proceeding.

Applies to mortgage licensees; the Mortgage Services Act took effect October 13, 2026.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Ontario · 2026-07-29

Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) · Discipline · mortgage fraud (fake mortgage preapproval letters) · both

RECO issued a proposal to refuse renewal of registration for an agent alleged to have created fake mortgage preapproval letters and provided other false or deceptive mortgage documents, to have failed to keep required client files, and to have admitted misconduct in a settlement with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. On September 23, 2026 the matter settled with registration renewed and a suspension of at least 12 months with conditions.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2026-07-28

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · seller impersonation · licensees

A Marshall broker was reprimanded effective July 31, 2026, after a fraudster asked her to sell a parcel of vacant land and she listed it for two days before discovering the scam. A Harrisburg broker was reprimanded effective July 31, 2026, after a fraudster asked her to sell a vacant lot, she did not adequately confirm the seller, and the property was sold.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Ontario · 2026-07-27

Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) · Discipline · rental scam (fraudulent rental transaction with falsified application documents) · both

An agent was fined $35,000 and had her registration suspended for participating in a fraudulent and misleading rental transaction in which she supplied falsified rental application documents and false information about a prospective tenant. The entry does not state the suspension length.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Delaware · 2026-07-20

Delaware Real Estate Commission (Division of Professional Regulation) · Alert · seller impersonation · both

The Real Estate Commission's own board page carries a notice that in vacant lot fraud or seller impersonation fraud bad actors impersonate the owners of a property or vacant lot and attempt to sell it for their own profit, and that owners, buyers and licensed professionals can all unknowingly end up as victims. It links to the Division's full scam alert section.

Board page published date July 20, 2026; repeats the May 26, 2026 Division alert.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Ontario · 2026-07-17

Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) · Discipline · rental scam (failure to confirm identity of a named tenant; false documents) · both

RECO referred an agent to the Discipline Committee on allegations that she did not confirm the identity or instructions of a person named as a tenant, did not properly document a representation agreement, and furnished false or misleading documents relating to a trade. No penalty has been imposed; the matter awaits a hearing.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Iowa · 2026-07-14

Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (administers the Iowa Real Estate Commission) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of licensing board investigators) · licensees

DIAL warned that scammers are calling licensees while posing as board investigators, claiming a complaint was filed, spoofing caller ID to show a board's real name and number, and pressing for card payments, confidential information, or a trip to a public location to receive faxed documents. It told licensees to get the caller's name, hang up, and call DIAL or the board at a published number, and said boards never ask for credit card information.

DIAL-wide alert; names medical, dental and nursing boards as reporting sources.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

British Columbia · 2026-07-13

BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) · Discipline · mortgage fraud · both

A former submortgage broker consented to an order after BCFSA reviewed eight mortgage files from 2022 to 2024 and found that false income documents, including tax returns, notices of assessment, T4s, paystubs and bank statements, had been submitted to lenders, and that several borrowers said they had not authorized the applications. He was permanently barred from registration and ordered to pay a $25,000 administrative penalty and $5,000 in costs.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2026-06-25

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · seller impersonation · licensees

A Charlotte broker was contacted by a fraudulent seller who represented himself as the true owner of vacant land, did not reasonably confirm ownership, and listed the property, which sold about four months later. He received a 12-month suspension effective June 30, 2026, fully stayed on conditions, and his Charlotte firm received the same sanction for advertising the property without the true owner's permission.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alberta · 2026-06-24

Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) · Guidance · wire fraud (business email compromise, payment redirection) · licensees

In its first RECA ProTalk edition, RECA described an incident in which a fraudster posing as a transaction participant sent revised payment instructions that looked authentic, and the consumer sent funds to a fraudulent account. RECA told real estate and mortgage licensees to confirm changed payment instructions through a trusted channel such as a number already on file, to check email addresses for subtle changes, to treat urgent money requests with suspicion, and to use multi-factor authentication.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

California · 2026-06-23

California Department of Real Estate (DRE) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · both

DRE warned that scammers are phoning consumers and licensees while pretending to be DRE staff, citing fake commission disputes or pending discipline and demanding electronic transfers or cash. DRE stated it will not reach out by telephone, text or email for its initial contact and told recipients to confirm the caller's identity by contacting DRE directly.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Nevada · 2026-06-22

Nevada Real Estate Commission (Nevada Real Estate Division) · Discipline · elder exploitation (forged vendor invoices; seller aged 87) · licensees

The Commission found that a North Las Vegas salesperson, while listing the home of an 87-year-old seller who was hospitalized and acting through an attorney-in-fact, created two invoices styled as coming from third-party vendors who later disowned them, had the seller pay $3,600 directly to him, disposed of the seller's furniture without any accounting, and gave the false invoices to the Division. The Commission ordered $80,000 in fines plus $2,895.40 in costs and revoked all his licenses for ten years.

Order date; effective July 22, 2026.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Ontario · 2026-06-19

Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) · Guidance · other (fraudulent cheques drawn on a brokerage trust account; deposits disbursed before receipt) · licensees

In the brokerage leadership section of its June 2026 newsletter, RECO reported that in the first quarter of 2026 one brokerage did not notice that 26 fraudulent cheques had been cashed from its trust account over more than two years, and that several brokerages paid out funds after recording deposit cheques that buyers never delivered. RECO said monthly trust reconciliations reviewed by the broker of record are the early warning system for such losses.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

District of Columbia · 2026-06-17

Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (administers the DC Real Estate Commission) · Alert · rental scam (short-term and vacation rentals) · consumers

DLCP, which administers the Real Estate Commission, issued a consumer alert on summer rental scams, telling renters to keep communication and payment on the rental platform, to be wary of hosts who cannot be confirmed, of charges above the advertised amount and of listings with no short-term rental license, and to confirm a property's license through DLCP's SCOUT platform. The release concerns short-term and vacation rental listings and does not mention licensed real estate agents or the Commission.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

California · 2026-06

California Department of Real Estate (DRE) · Guidance · seller impersonation · licensees

The bulletin's lead article explains that seller impersonation fraud occurs when someone falsely claims to own a property and tries to hire a licensee to sell it, and that remote transactions have not changed the licensee's due diligence to exercise sound judgment. It lists eight warning signs and seven diligence steps such as meeting the seller live, comparing government ID to title, confirming ownership through a preliminary title report and documenting each step.

Real Estate Bulletin Vol. 85 No. 3; DRE posts summer issues in mid-June.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Oregon · 2026-06

Oregon Real Estate Agency · Guidance · phishing/spoofing (vendor email impersonation and payment redirection) · licensees

The Agency described a near miss reported by police in Dallas, Oregon, where a scammer used a spoofed email address to pose as a property manager's vendor and asked that payments go to a new bookkeeper; the manager stopped payment after the real vendor called, so no money was lost. The Agency told licensees to treat emails that change payment instructions, create urgency, or ask for gift cards with skepticism, to check the actual sender address, and to confirm the sender through a number or email from an independent source.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2026-05-28

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Guidance · seller impersonation · licensees

The article describes a listing that looks ideal, an out-of-state heir, a below-market price and an electronic-only quick sale, and says it is essential to confirm the seller's identity and legal authority to convey. It recommends a live video meeting, a photo ID check, deed record review, independent confirmation of the owner's contact information, alerting the broker-in-charge, and asking questions a real owner would know.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Delaware · 2026-05-26

Delaware Division of Professional Regulation (Real Estate Commission) · Alert · seller impersonation; deed/title fraud (wire fraud precautions) · both

The Division's scam alert page says bad actors impersonate the owners of a property or vacant lot and attempt to sell it for their own profit, using forged IDs that may include AI-generated photos and fake email accounts, listing through a real estate agent, submitting falsified documents to the title company or attorney, and having proceeds wired to the scammer; it cites a Delaware case where the true owner learned of the sale months later from a lender's payoff letter. It lists ALTA red flags and precautions (independently confirm the seller's phone, mail the tax-record address, use vetted notaries and in-person signings, third-party identity checks, compare signatures to recorded documents, prefer checks over wires), tells victims where to report, and notes that recorders check only form and fees, so owners should enroll in each county's free fraud alert service.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Delaware · 2026-05-26

Delaware Division of Professional Regulation (Real Estate Commission) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · licensees

The same page warns that callers pose as DPR investigators, board members or other officials, threaten license revocation or arrest, and demand payment by phone. DPR states it cannot make arrests, will not suspend or revoke a license without due process, never asks for payment by phone, and takes fines only online through DELPROS; it advises hanging up, reporting to the FTC, and contacting the DPR Investigative Unit.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Ontario · 2026-05-25

Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) · Discipline · other (referral of buyer clients into a fraudulent development scheme) · both

RECO revoked the registration of a broker after she withdrew her appeal of a March 10, 2026 immediate suspension and proposal to revoke, which were based on her role in referring Ontario buyer clients to invest in a fraudulent scheme by an illegitimate developer located in Nova Scotia, with inadequate due diligence and continued trading after regulatory warnings.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

British Columbia · 2026-05-21

BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) · Discipline · mortgage fraud · both

BCFSA announced that a submortgage broker and sole owner of a mortgage brokerage had his registration cancelled after admitting he sent lenders applications with inflated income figures across eight files, even though borrowers had given accurate documents, earning more than $56,000 in commissions. The consent order imposed the maximum $50,000 administrative penalty under the Mortgage Brokers Act plus $30,000 in costs; the release notes the Mortgage Services Act will set clearer standards for confirming borrower information.

Consent order Duggal (Re), 2026 BCRMB 3, dated May 8, 2026: Additional regulator source

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Maine · 2026-05-21

Maine Real Estate Commission · Guidance · seller impersonation; deepfake/AI; wire fraud; deed/title fraud · licensees

The Commission's May 21, 2026 meeting packet carries the draft core course content, which states that seller impersonation continues to be an issue in Maine and nationally, describes fraudsters soliciting agents while posing as property owners, lists red flags such as a seller who will not meet in person or by video, advises caution with wire transfers to foreign accounts, recommends Registry of Deeds fraud alerts, and tells licensees they remain responsible for AI output used in advertising. The minutes record approval of the Evolving Risk and Responsibilities Core Course effective October 1, 2026, contingent on integration of a seller impersonation scenario based on a recent Commission case.

Minutes: Additional regulator source

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

British Columbia · 2026-05-20

BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) · Discipline · other (alleged investment scheme; sanction for non-cooperation with the fraud investigation) · both

BCFSA suspended a real estate trading services licensee for six months and ordered $9,235.28 in enforcement expenses because she failed to cooperate with an investigation into her alleged involvement in a scheme in which investors gave her money to finance short-term loans and mortgages and then allegedly stopped receiving interest or principal. The allegations remain unproven and the investigation continues.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

West Virginia · 2026-05-18

West Virginia Real Estate Commission · Guidance · seller impersonation; deed/title fraud (wire fraud cautions) · licensees

The Commission posted a notice that its Compliance and Investigative Staff compiled fraud prevention tips, linking a memo titled Title Fraud. The memo tells licensees to confirm seller identity in person or by video with government ID, treats vacant lots and lien-free rentals as primary targets, flags below-market pricing, cash-only demands and refusal to sign in person, says never to let a seller arrange their own notary closing, and says to advise clients to confirm wiring instructions by phone with the settlement attorney or title company before sending funds.

Memo at Additional regulator source carries no date of its own.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alberta · 2026-05-11

Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) · Discipline · other (bridge loan Ponzi scheme run by a licensee; Assurance Fund compensation) · both

RECA announced compensation decisions from the Real Estate Assurance Fund for victims of a former associate licensee's bridge loan Ponzi scheme, approving 15 applications for eligible losses up to the $35,000 per transaction cap and denying three, for a total of $1,407,875.70, the largest payout in the Fund's history. RECA said it would keep assessing remaining applications and was strengthening its focus on fraud education.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Connecticut · 2026-05-06

Connecticut Real Estate Commission (Department of Consumer Protection) · Guidance · seller impersonation; deed/title fraud; phishing/spoofing; deepfake/AI · licensees

At its May 6, 2026 meeting the Commission discussed land-sale impersonation schemes in which scammers obtain municipal records to pose as absentee landowners, sometimes with forged IDs, and ask agents to list the property; the chairman said he and other agents had received such requests and that some towns now offer homeowner alerts for attempted deed transfers. A commissioner also raised phishing emails tied to new listings, scam meeting links carrying malware, and AI-generated voices and documents; the Commission said the conduct may fall outside its enforcement authority and discussed developing a continuing education course on safer practices.

Official minutes; discussion, not a published alert.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

West Virginia · 2026-05-05

West Virginia Real Estate Commission · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · licensees

The Commission states that a scammer is sending emails pretending to be the WV Real Estate Commission during the renewal season and that the messages are not from the Commission. It tells recipients to check the sender's actual address, to treat any message not from a wv.gov address as a scam, to block and report it, and to confirm by calling or emailing the office.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Nevada · 2026-04-30

Nevada Real Estate Commission (Nevada Real Estate Division) · Discipline · elder exploitation (deed procured through fraud) · licensees

The Commission found that a Las Vegas licensee advised her 89-year-old father to buy a home with his VA loan, persuaded him to add her to the deed as joint tenant, then locked him out for over a year; a Clark County court had already rescinded the deed as procured through fraud and found undue influence on an elderly person. The Commission found deceitful and fraudulent acts and ordered a $40,000 fine, $15,676.64 in costs and 18 hours of live continuing education.

Order date; effective June 2, 2026; summarized in the Spring 2026 Open House.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2026-04-29

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (deepfake/AI elements) · both

The Commission warns that scammers use fake Zoom and Teams invitations, malicious update downloads, impersonation of IT support, and sometimes deepfake audio or video and spoofed caller IDs to get brokers and consumers to grant access to their computers. It recommends confirming meeting requests through a separate channel, installing updates only from official sources, using multi-factor authentication, and reporting to the FBI IC3.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2026-04-29

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · seller impersonation (with wire fraud) · licensees

A Charlotte broker listed vacant land for a person he believed was the owner after checking only the deed name and a phone call, and the buyer wired $7,000 to the fraudulent seller based on wiring instructions the broker passed along. He received a 12-month suspension effective April 1, 2026, fully stayed on conditions.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

California · 2026-04-27

California Department of Real Estate (DRE) · Alert · other (agent identity theft; scammers impersonating licensed agents) · both

DRE's licensee advisory and matching consumer alert warn that scammers copy licensees' names, license numbers and photos to build fake social media accounts, including TikTok, and Craigslist listings, and carry out home-buying and property-management fraud. DRE tells consumers to look up the agent on DRE's website and independently confirm the agent's phone number, and tells licensees whose identities are misused to send cease and desist letters, check credit reports and report to IC3, DRE and law enforcement.

Consumer version: Additional regulator source

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Texas · 2026-04-24

Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · licensees

TREC warned that scammers are spoofing TREC and TALCB phone numbers to send fake texts and make fake calls, including texts to license holders claiming safety violations, in order to collect bank account numbers, Social Security numbers and other identity data. TREC stated it never texts license holders, notifies people of complaints only by email, never asks for full Social Security or credit card numbers in enforcement matters, and told recipients to delete the message and contact the agency directly to confirm.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Virginia · undated (updated 2026-04-03)

Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (Real Estate Board) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · both

DPOR states that scammers are impersonating the agency by phone, letter and email, using public license information to appear legitimate, including calls offering license benefits, emails asking recipients to sign or confirm documents, and fake DocuSign messages. It says DPOR will never call to demand immediate payment or a Social Security number, lists its genuine email domains, and gives steps to confirm a communication by calling the agency directly and to report fraud to the FTC.

Page shows last updated April 3, 2026 (earlier updates Jan 22, 2026 and Nov 8, 2024); a matching banner appears on every DPOR page.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Saskatchewan · 2026 (Spring issue)

Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission (SREC) · Guidance · deed/title fraud (title search as a fraud safeguard) · licensees

SREC reminded registrants that title searches are required when taking listings or writing offers, that registrants have an ethical and legal duty to protect the public from fraud, unethical practices and misrepresentation, and cited a 2008 discipline case in which a registrant accepted a claimed power of attorney without a copy or a title search.

Issue carries no day.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Utah · 2026-Q1

Utah Division of Real Estate · Guidance · phishing/spoofing (SMS phishing via a fake CE event) · licensees

The Division describes an open house that advertised nine hours of CE in two hours from a presenter who was not an approved provider, after which attendees were told to text their personal information to a random number and set up an account with a universal password. The Division calls this a textbook setup for a smishing scam and advises licensees never to click suspicious links or use preset passwords and to consider freezing their credit if they shared data.

Newsletter PDF dated April 2026.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Illinois · 2026-04

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Real Estate · Discipline · wire fraud (conviction; transaction not described) · licensees

A real estate broker from Oak Brook had his license revoked and was fined $25,000 based on a federal wire fraud conviction. The report gives only the conviction as the basis and does not describe the underlying transaction.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2026-03-26

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Guidance · seller impersonation · licensees

The April 2026 Tech Corner says fraudsters impersonate owners of vacant land, rental property and out-of-state holdings, claim to be overseas, insist on email or text, and push a fast below-market sale. It tells brokers to check government photo ID, require a live video chat on the broker's own conferencing software, visit the property, and coordinate with the closing attorney.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alberta · 2026-03-24

Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) · Discipline · other (hearing update; broker and brokerage owner alleged to have concealed the investment fraud scheme) · both

RECA issued a public update on the joint conduct hearing involving a broker and a brokerage owner, stating that the hearing panel denied their requests for separate hearings and for a delay pending civil litigation, that both appealed, and that the main hearing remained unscheduled. RECA's September 2025 alert states the notices of hearing allege they knew of the scheme between 2021 and 2024, failed to report it and helped conceal it.

Procedural update; allegations unproven.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alberta · 2026-02-26

Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) · Alert · other (general real estate and mortgage fraud awareness, Fraud Prevention Month) · consumers

Ahead of Fraud Prevention Month, RECA urged Albertans to confirm that their real estate or mortgage professional is licensed using RECA ProCheck before signing anything, to research deals carefully and to be skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true. RECA said it would share prevention tips through March on social media and recaprotects.ca.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2026-02-26

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Guidance · other (loan fraud through subject-to transfers) · licensees

The Commission states that acquiring title subject to a seller's existing mortgage while concealing the transfer from the lender is generally a form of loan fraud and that no broker should participate in such a transaction. It says brokers should obtain advice from a real property attorney and keep documentation that the seller and lender were informed.

Page metadata date Feb 26, 2026; the article is tagged to the March 2025 eBulletin, so the two dates conflict.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2026-02-25

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · other (forged instrument, false pretenses) · licensees

A Gibsonville broker entered an Alford plea to felony charges of uttering a forged instrument and obtaining property by false pretenses after making a check payable to himself from a seller's blank check. He received a 12-month suspension effective January 5, 2026, stayed after a one-month active period.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Quebec · 2026-02-23

Organisme d'autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ) · Discipline · other (11 fictitious transactions with forged signatures and fabricated documents to obtain commission advances) · both

The Discipline Committee revoked the licence of a residential real estate broker from Gatineau who, between November 2022 and March 2023, simulated 11 fictitious transactions on properties in the Montreal area and Laval using real owners and acquaintances as unwitting sellers and buyers, forged their signatures and fabricated brokerage contracts, a Centris listing, seller declarations, promises to purchase and financing letters to obtain about $231,290 in commission advances. The Committee also barred any OACIQ licence to him or to any agency he would control and ordered publication of a revocation notice.

French-language decision; sanction hearing Oct 14, 2025.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

California · 2026-02-19

California Department of Real Estate (DRE) · Alert · elder exploitation (covers deed recordation fraud and vacant land impersonation) · consumers

DRE warned that scammers increasingly target seniors with real estate and mortgage-related deception and described nine schemes, including deed recordation fraud where fraudsters forge or falsify deeds and record them without the owner's consent, and vacant land scams run by people posing as owners of vacant land. It gives eleven tips, including confirming licenses and never paying in cash or wiring money in a real estate transaction.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Illinois · 2026-02

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Real Estate · Discipline · other (foreclosure-assistance scheme that took consumer money) · licensees

In its 2025 Notable Cases, the Division described a managing broker who advertised help buying foreclosed properties through an unlicensed entity, collected money from consumers, had them sign exclusive brokerage agreements, never found properties, did not place the funds in escrow, and refused refunds. The broker's license and the entity's license were revoked with fines totaling $1,325,000 for conduct likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public, and the unlicensed person was assessed a $375,000 civil penalty.

Spring 2026 issue; print code indicates February 2026.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Nevada · 2026-02

Nevada Real Estate Division · Guidance · deed/title fraud (names seller impersonation scams, forged deeds, notary fraud) · both

The newsletter defines property fraud as a crime in which fraudulent documents are recorded against a property without the owner's knowledge or consent and, citing the Recorders Association of Nevada, says schemes target unoccupied, mortgage-free or high-equity properties through forged deeds, fraudulent liens and notary fraud or seller impersonation scams. It recommends title insurance, fraud coverage, credit monitoring and free county recording alerts, noting four counties do not offer alerts.

Issue dated February to May 2026.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2026-01-28

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · seller impersonation (attempted wire fraud) · licensees

A Cornelius listing agent was hired by someone posing as the owner of vacant land and confirmed the caller's identity only by checking a phone number on an app; the fraud came to light after a failed wire transfer and a check mailed to the real owner's address, and the buyer lost the due diligence fee. The February 2026 eBulletin reports a reprimand by consent effective February 10, 2026 with the commission refunded; the October 2026 eBulletin reports the same facts with a six-month stayed suspension effective the same date, so the two published descriptions differ.

Same licensee as the Cornelius entry on the October 2026 page; count once.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

California · 2026-01-23

California Department of Real Estate (DRE) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · licensees

DRE warned licensees of phishing emails using DRE's former logo and a subject line claiming a formal complaint has been filed against them, pushing a supposed course fix. DRE stated the emails are fraudulent and told licensees not to click links or respond, noting official correspondence comes from a ca.gov address.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Utah · 2026-01-13

Utah Division of Real Estate (Utah Real Estate Commission) · Discipline · other (forged and false documents; misrepresentations about loans and liens) · licensees

The Commission and Director found a South Jordan sales agent committed 20 violations, including intentional and substantial misrepresentations about a loan and liens on real property across multiple transactions, preparing false documents, using forged documents in multiple transactions, false advertising and failing to deposit earnest money. He was fined $5,000 per violation ($100,000 total) and his license and all residual rights were revoked.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Nebraska · 2026-01-08

Nebraska Real Estate Commission · Alert · seller impersonation · both

The Commission warned of a fast-growing scheme in which fraudsters pose as the owners of vacant land, farmland, empty lots, rental houses and second homes, using public records to gather owner names and property details, spoofing phone numbers, contacting an agent to list the property below market, avoiding in-person meetings, pushing a fast closing and steering buyers toward remote or hard-to-confirm payment, so that a buyer who closes loses the money and does not receive valid title. It listed red flags, told buyers to confirm the seller's identity in person or by live video, use a trusted title company, obtain title insurance and confirm contact information independently, and told owners to sign up for county Register of Deeds property fraud alerts.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alberta · 2026-01-04

Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) · Alert · wire fraud (deposit redirection via compromised email thread; impersonation of a licensee) · both

RECA reported that a fraudster gained access to the email thread between a buyer's licensee and a seller's licensee, sent a message posing as the seller's licensee asking that the deposit go to a new address, and the buyer sent the deposit to the fraudulent address after the buyer's licensee forwarded it. RECA advised licensees to confirm any unexpected or revised deposit instructions by calling a number already on file, to confirm with the designated trustee, to check email addresses closely, and to contact the bank, brokerage and police immediately if funds were sent.

Also served under the title Scam Alert: Fraudsters Are Targeting Real Estate Deposits Through Email.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Oklahoma · 2026-01-01

Oklahoma Real Estate Commission (OREC) · Rule change · deed/title fraud · both

OREC published a one-page closing form, created by the Oklahoma Real Estate Contract Form Committee and approved by the Commission, stating that Oklahoma law (59 O.S. 858-364) requires buyers to be notified at closing of the signs and risks of deed theft. The form defines deed theft, lists warning signs such as unfamiliar deeds or liens in public records and missing tax bills, recommends checking county land records and monitoring credit, and carries a buyer signature line to confirm receipt.

The form itself does not say who hands it to the buyer.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Oklahoma · 2026-01-01

Oklahoma Real Estate Commission (OREC) · Guidance · wire fraud · both

OREC posted the 2026 edition of its Wire Fraud Advisory form, created by the Contract Form Committee and approved by the Commission, which warns buyers and sellers that criminals intercept emailed wire instructions and supply false confirmation phone numbers. It instructs parties to get the escrow officer's phone number at the start of the transaction, call that number before wiring, confirm routing and account numbers orally, keep personal data out of email and text, and notify the bank, escrow holder and agent if instructions look suspicious.

A 2025 edition marked 01-01-2025 is also posted.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Utah · 2025-Q4

Utah Division of Real Estate · Alert · phishing/spoofing (fake consumers sending malicious meeting links) · licensees

The Director's cybersecurity note warns that nefarious actors sometimes reach out to licensees pretending to be consumers seeking their services, often request a Zoom meeting and provide a link that is not legitimate, and that clicking such links can expose systems to malware. It urges extreme caution with unsolicited out-of-state inquiries.

Newsletter PDF dated January 2026.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

South Carolina · undated (2025 Recap)

South Carolina Real Estate Commission (LLR) · Discipline · other (forged offer document) · licensees

A licensee handling two full-price offers on a $225,000 listing altered the FHA financing offer to show a higher price, forged the offerors' initials beside the change, and used the altered contract to push the competing cash buyer to the $240,000 escalation cap. The Commission imposed a public reprimand, a six-month suspension, $8,000 in fines, and 12 hours of ethics education.

Edition labeled 2025 Recap; no publication date in the document.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

California · 2025-12-30

California Department of Real Estate (DRE) · Guidance · seller impersonation (vacant land) · licensees

DRE advised agents that bad actors are posing as owners of vacant land and contacting real estate agents for help selling property they do not own, typically using fake IDs and targeting parcels owned by elderly, deceased or out-of-state owners with no mortgage. It lists red flags (below-market price, no sign, quick cash sale, refusal to meet in person or on video, seller's own notary, wired proceeds) and recommends identity checks such as a live meeting, a utility or tax bill, a third-party identity service, mailed confirmation to the address of record, and reporting to law enforcement and DRE.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Kansas · 2025-12-16

Kansas Real Estate Commission (KREC) · Alert · seller impersonation (vacant property) · licensees

The Commission's December 2025 newsletter warns that cyberfraud causes significant financial loss that is often impossible to recover, and describes cases in which criminals sell vacant property they do not own using fake identification, so the fraud is hard to catch before funds are disbursed. It lists red flags (refusing a For Sale sign, refusing to meet in person or by video, claiming to be out of state or out of the country, requiring cash, listing below market, pushing a fast closing, using a licensee outside the property's market area, waiving earnest money, pressuring the licensee, requesting a remote closing with a remote notary), tells licensees to work closely with the closing company to confirm the seller's identity and ownership, and directs reports to the FBI's IC3.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Arkansas · 2025-12

Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC) · Guidance · seller impersonation · licensees

In the Executive Director's column, AREC stated that fraudulent sellers are on the rise in harming property owners and buyers, cited a report that buyers across the U.S. have lost over a billion dollars in transactions with fraudulent sellers, and said owners face significant hardship undoing such scams. The column told licensees that the bottom line is to know and confirm their seller to ensure they are the legitimate property owner, and the same issue's wholesaling article tells licensees to make sure they are working with the actual owner or the owner's legal representative.

Issue masthead reads Winter 2025; posted Dec 2, 2025. The column's own wording is 'know and verify your seller.'

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

West Virginia · 2025-11-25

West Virginia Real Estate Commission · Alert · seller impersonation · both

The Commission reports a sharp increase in real estate fraud involving vacant and unencumbered property, with criminals posing as real property owners and using a series of impersonations and open-source research similar to business email compromise techniques. It links a U.S. Secret Service informational pamphlet for more detail.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Utah · 2025-11-19

Utah Division of Real Estate (Utah Real Estate Commission) · Discipline · deposit/earnest money (fake lender using a fictitious name) · licensees

A Park City sales agent used her DocuSign account to facilitate a personal loan for her buyer arranged by a former client who used a fictitious name and had an extensive criminal and fraud history; the funds never arrived and the buyer lost $5,000 in earnest money, which the agent has since repaid. She agreed to an $8,000 civil penalty and three hours of continuing education.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

New York · 2025-11-13

New York Department of State (Division of Licensing Services; Division of Consumer Protection) · Alert · deepfake/AI (AI-generated listing photos); deposit scams; impersonated or unlicensed agents · both

The Department of State warned homebuyers and real estate professionals that AI-generated or manipulated listing photos are rising and can amount to deceptive advertising under the license law and General Business Law. It advised consumers to confirm an agent's license in the state database and call the independently listed number, to inspect homes in person, and not to send money, a holding deposit, or personal information before meeting the agent and seeing the property.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Oklahoma · 2025-11-10

Oklahoma Real Estate Commission (OREC) · Rule change · deed/title fraud (mandatory continuing education) · licensees

OREC issued a Notice of Rulemaking Intent and Rule Impact Statement for permanent amendments to Title 605, Chapter 10, with comments due December 5, 2025 and a hearing December 10, 2025; the stated purposes include clarifying continuing education requirements for deed theft as required under 59 O.S. 858-307.2. The Rule Impact Statement says failing to implement deed theft education may leave licensees and consumers less prepared, and the underlying statute, printed in the Commission's Code and Rules Book as of November 1, 2025, requires every licensee to complete deed theft continuing education on or before November 1, 2028.

Impact statement: Additional regulator source ; statute in the Nov 1, 2025 Code and Rules Book.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Quebec · 2025-11-10

Organisme d'autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ) · Discipline · mortgage fraud (false mortgage approval letters and credit confirmations) · both

A real estate broker pleaded guilty to seven counts after giving brokers at several agencies mortgage approval letters and credit confirmations purportedly from financial institutions that he ought to have known were false, fabricated by his brother, which caused sales to collapse or be delayed, and after repeatedly failing to meet the assistant syndic. The Committee imposed a total licence suspension of 300 days, publication of a suspension notice and costs.

French-language decision; hearing Oct 30, 2025.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alberta · 2025-11-05

Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) · Discipline · other (failure to report an associate's fraud) · licensees

A hearing panel suspended the associate broker licence of a former broker of an Alberta brokerage for 12 months and fined him $4,000 after he admitted he had known since June 2022 of fraudulent conduct by one of his associates and did not notify the Registrar as required.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

California · 2025-11-03

California Department of Real Estate (DRE) · Alert · wire fraud; deed/title fraud; elder exploitation (nine crime types) · consumers

DRE described nine real estate and mortgage crimes, including business email compromise in which criminals hack into email accounts of real estate professionals or escrow officers to redirect wire payments, deed and title fraud using forged deeds and fake identities, and elder financial exploitation. For each it gives avoidance tips such as confirming payment instructions by phone, monitoring property records and signing up for county recorder notifications.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Saskatchewan · 2025-11

Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission (SREC) · Alert · wire fraud (email account takeover and deposit redirection) · licensees

SREC warned that unauthorized third parties gain access to registrants' email accounts, monitor them until a deposit is due, then email the client from the registrant's own account directing the deposit to a third-party account instead of the brokerage trust account, using industry terminology and deleting the message to avoid detection. SREC advised strong passwords and login notifications, accepting deposits by cheque or bank draft where possible, confirming any electronic transfer instructions by phone before sending, and contacting the client, bank, police and the Commission immediately if targeted.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2025-10-23

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · seller impersonation · licensees

An Apex broker was contacted by a scammer who asked him to list a vacant lot and did not confirm that the caller was the actual owner, who had died. He received a nine-month suspension effective October 10, 2025, stayed on conditions.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Idaho · 2025-10-02

Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (administers the Idaho Real Estate Commission) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · licensees

DOPL, which administers the Idaho Real Estate Commission, warned that scammers are phoning and emailing licensees while pretending to represent the division and asking for dates of birth, Social Security numbers, payment information and other sensitive details. The division stated that it never initiates contact to request personal information, told licensees not to share information or click links in unexpected calls, texts or emails, and said to contact DOPL through the official contact details on its website.

Division-wide alert posted in the Real Estate Commission's Board News feed.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alberta · 2025-10-01

Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) · Discipline · other (fake purchase offer supplied to a mortgage broker; false foreclosure claim to buyers) · licensees

A hearing panel found that a former real estate associate created a fake purchase offer for a property and gave it to a mortgage broker, falsely told buyers the property was a foreclosure, and let an unlicensed person show the property and prepare a contract. He was fined $14,500 and barred from reapplying for any licence for one year after paying the fines.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Illinois · 2025-10

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Real Estate · Discipline · other (bank fraud conspiracy conviction; facts not described) · licensees

A real estate broker from Shiloh had his license revoked based on a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The report does not describe the underlying facts or whether a real estate transaction was involved.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Saskatchewan · 2025 (Fall issue)

Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission (SREC) · Alert · wire fraud (email account takeover and deposit redirection) · licensees

The Register Fall 2025 carried the same Cybersecurity Risk Alert, warning that criminals take over registrants' email accounts and send deposit redirection emails to clients that use real estate terminology and are then deleted. It recommended strong rotating passwords, taking deposits by cheque or bank draft, and calling the client to confirm account details before any electronic transfer.

Issue carries no day.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Utah · 2025-Q3

Utah Division of Real Estate (Utah Real Estate Commission) · Discipline · fake listing (marketed without the true owners' consent) with foreclosure rescue · licensees

A Farmington sales agent marketed a property after learning his client was not the owner, producing a misleading listing without the true owners' consent, and in two foreclosure rescue deals moved title to an LLC he partly owned with lease-back terms that led to eviction notices for the sellers. He was ordered to pay a $60,000 civil penalty, reduced to $30,000 if title is returned to the sellers, plus three CE hours.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alberta · 2025-09-22

Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) · Discipline · other (bridge loan Ponzi scheme run by a licensee) · both

An independent hearing panel permanently banned a former associate licensee from trading in real estate in Alberta after he admitted running a Ponzi scheme using fraudulent bridge loans that defrauded about 71 people of more than $3.5 million, and ordered $9,500 in hearing costs. RECA said it was the third permanent ban by a hearing panel since 2022 and that separate notices of hearing had been issued to a broker and a brokerage owner over their conduct connected to the scheme.

Timeline PDF: Additional regulator source

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

West Virginia · 2025-09-09

West Virginia Real Estate Commission · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · licensees

The Commission states that someone is sending emails while posing as the WV Real Estate Commission and that it is not the sender. It says the fastest check is the sender's address, that genuine Commission email comes from a wv.gov address, and that recipients should block and report the sender and call or email the office if unsure.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2025-08-28

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Guidance · seller impersonation · licensees

The article says that when a licensee is selling for someone never met in person, the arrangement should be treated as a likely scam until identity is confirmed, especially for vacant land, abandoned property and trust or estate assets. It lists steps including government photo ID matched to public records, a live video chat, a property visit, contacting the record owner independently, requesting documents only a true owner would have, and escalating to the broker-in-charge and closing attorney.

Republished from NC REALTORS; shows a release date of July 31, 2025.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2025-08-25

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · wire fraud · licensees

A Greenville buyer's agent obtained wiring instructions by email and did not confirm them by phone, contrary to her training; a hacker who had intercepted the emails replied with fake wiring instructions and the buyer wired $23,330.09 to the hacker's account. She was reprimanded by consent effective August 31, 2025.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Quebec · 2025-08-25

Organisme d'autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ) · Discipline · other (fictitious transactions with forged signatures and fabricated documents) · both

The Discipline Committee found a Gatineau residential real estate broker guilty of a fraudulent scheme in which he set up 11 fictitious real estate transactions, forged the signatures of unwitting owners and acquaintances, fabricated brokerage contracts, listings, seller declarations, promises to purchase and financing letters, and falsely listed a property on Centris to obtain roughly $231,290 in commission advances, leaving his agency jointly liable for repayment. Sanction was decided in the February 2026 decision.

French-language decision; hearing June 12, 2024.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Rhode Island · 2025-08-12

Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Division of Commercial Licensing (Real Estate) · Discipline · other (altered lender pre-qualification letter) · licensees

A real estate salesperson altered a pre-qualification letter that a credit union had issued to a different client, changing the borrower's name and the pre-qualification purchase price, and used it to qualify his own client to view a property; the listing side discovered the letter was fake when the credit union reported no record of the client. The Department cited substantial misrepresentation and conduct showing bad faith, dishonesty, untrustworthiness or incompetence, and the licensee agreed to a $2,000 administrative penalty, one year of license probation, and corrective action.

Date adopted per the enforcement actions index.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

New York · 2025-08-11

New York Department of State, Division of Consumer Protection · Guidance · rental scam · consumers

In a back-to-school consumer alert, the Division of Consumer Protection included a roommate and rental scam section stating that scammers may pose as an individual selling or renting a property and then solicit money from would-be renters. The rental section is one of several student-targeted scam categories in the release, which links to the Department's housing scams guide.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2025-07-28

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · seller impersonation · licensees

A Newport broker executed a listing agreement with an assumed seller who signed electronically, did not confirm identity, and the lot was sold before the fraud was discovered, with the true owner unaware until after closing. He received a six-month suspension effective July 1, 2025, fully stayed on conditions.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Arizona · 2025-07-28

Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE) · Guidance · deed/title fraud · licensees

ADRE's FY26 strategic plan sets a goal that by June 2029 all licensees renewing an active non-provisional license will have completed Deed Fraud continuing education, reporting 57 percent of renewals completed to date. It also records that in FY25 ADRE formed a working group to develop Deed Fraud course materials and lists a FY26 objective to create a way to track predatory practices.

Date is the document's modified date. The deed fraud CE requirement itself was announced July 14, 2024, before the window.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

New York · 2025-07-15

New York Department of State, Division of Consumer Protection · Guidance · rental scam · consumers

In a Military Consumer Protection Month alert, the Division of Consumer Protection described fake rental listings that use stolen photos to collect deposits and rental application data. It advised that a request to pay a fee by wire transfer or money transfer app before viewing a property signals a likely fake listing.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2025-06-27

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · seller impersonation · licensees

A Clayton licensee listed a vacant lot without taking adequate steps to confirm the seller's identity, and the buyer's $5,000 due diligence fee was lost; a Mint Hill listing agent was contacted by a woman claiming to be the owner, did not adequately confirm identity, and the buyer's $5,000 due diligence fee was lost. Both were reprimanded by consent effective June 30, 2025.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alberta · 2025-06-12

Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) · Discipline · other (participation in fraudulent activities; facts not published) · licensees

A hearing panel cancelled the licence of a real estate associate registered with a Calgary brokerage and barred him from reapplying for two years after finding he participated in fraudulent activities in connection with his services, breached fiduciary duties, discouraged a client from seeking expert advice and failed to use a written service agreement. He was fined $25,000 plus $12,070 in costs; the alert does not describe the facts.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alberta · 2025-06-02

Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) · Guidance · other (RECA's handling of an investment fraud complaint) · both

RECA explained its complaint, investigation and hearing process in response to media coverage of the investment fraud matter, stating that it received a complaint alleging a fraudulent investment scheme in spring 2024, suspended the licence in June 2024 after an initial investigation, and held the conduct hearing on May 22, 2025 after a police fraud charge on May 8, 2025.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

New Brunswick · 2025-06

Financial and Consumer Services Commission (FCNB) · Guidance · mortgage fraud (includes fraud for title using a stolen identity) · consumers

FCNB's consumer guide describes six mortgage fraud schemes (fraud for profit, fraud for shelter, straw buyer, foreclosure rescue, reverse mortgage fraud, and fraud for title using a stolen identity to take out a mortgage, sell the home, or transfer title of a mortgage-free home) and cites a 52 percent rise in suspected mortgage fraud in Canada since 2013. It advises honesty on applications, checking the licence status of mortgage brokers and real estate professionals with the Commission, protecting personal information, and reporting to FCNB.

PDF dated June 2025; an earlier edition exists in a December 2024 folder.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Oregon · 2025-06

Oregon Real Estate Agency · Guidance · seller impersonation · licensees

Real Estate Commissioner Steve Strode wrote that seller impersonation fraud remains an industry-wide problem and a common source of complaints against Oregon licensees, and listed the warning signs: a vacant or non-owner-occupied property, an out-of-town seller wanting a fast remote cash sale below market, a preference for email over phone or video, a request to wire proceeds, use of the seller's own notary, and a request for no sign. He told licensees to hold video calls, treat refusal of video as a warning, mail hard-copy listing paperwork to the tax-record address, contact the seller at an independently researched number, and confirm referrals, and stated that failing to follow these practices may lead to discipline under ORS 696.301(15) if an investigation finds conduct below the professional standard of care.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2025-05-28

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · wire fraud · licensees

A Rock Hill buyer's agent did not remind her client to phone the closing attorney to confirm wiring instructions, and the client paid closing costs based on a fraudulent email purporting to come from the closing attorney; her broker-in-charge failed to ensure she complied with the rules. Each received a 12-month suspension effective May 1, 2025, fully stayed on conditions.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Nevada · 2025-05-21

Nevada Real Estate Commission (Nevada Real Estate Division) · Discipline · other (owner impersonation toward a tenant; unlicensed property management) · licensees

The Commission found that a Las Vegas salesperson whose license was suspended managed a rental property, collected a $1,795 security deposit he never remitted, and committed deceitful acts by impersonating the owner toward the tenant while concealing his invalid license. It imposed $55,000 in fines plus $3,791.57 in costs and revoked his license.

Summarized in the Fall 2025 Open House.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

South Carolina · 2025-05-08

South Carolina Real Estate Commission (LLR) · Guidance · seller impersonation; fake buyer (wire fraud cautions) · licensees

The six-page document follows up the Commission's December 2022 alert and reminds licensees of their duty under S.C. Code 40-57-710 and 40-57-350 to take reasonable precautions to protect the public from fraud. It lists warning signs such as parties who will not meet or appear on video, urgent below-price sales, little or no earnest money, and foreign contact details, and recommends photo ID checks against DMV or AAMVA records, matching the seller to the owner of record, live video calls, independent confirmation of where funds go, and avoiding direct wires, especially overseas.

Hosted in the Commission's FraudAlert folder; not linked from the news index as fetched.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2025-04-30

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Guidance · phishing/spoofing · licensees

The Commission's Tech Corner explains that brokers' email exposes client data to hacking, phishing and data breaches, and includes a section on phishing in which cybercriminals pose as legitimate parties to steal information. It recommends password managers, two-factor authentication, encryption, secure file sharing, checking sender addresses, and watching for urgent requests and suspicious links.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Utah · 2025-Q1

Utah Division of Real Estate · Guidance · other (foreclosure rescue scams) · both

The Division explains that foreclosure rescue offers can be legitimate but that predatory practices abound, and describes equity stripping, lease buybacks, false loan modification help and phantom help. It warns the schemes can end in lost property and increased debt.

Newsletter PDF dated April 2025.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Utah · 2025-Q1

Utah Division of Real Estate (Utah Real Estate Commission) · Discipline · other (foreclosure rescue with title transfer to the broker's own company) · licensees

A Blanding principal broker admitted conducting a foreclosure rescue without a written agreement under which title transferred to a company in which he held a financial interest, with a prior sanction cited as aggravating. He was ordered to pay a $100,000 civil penalty (reducible to $80,000 on payment of $75,000 to the affected party) and placed on two years' probation.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alaska · 2025-03-20

Alaska Real Estate Commission · Discipline · fake listing · licensees

The Commission adopted a consent agreement with a salesperson for listing a pending sale of a property that was not for sale nor owned by the seller. The sanction was a $5,000 civil fine, two years' probation and four hours of continuing education; the report does not state whether the licensee knew the seller did not own the property.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Nova Scotia · 2025-03-04

Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission (NSREC) · Rule change · other (fraud definition; broker duty to report fraud-related misconduct) · licensees

NSREC's Board approved By-law updates to Parts 1, 7 and 8 effective July 1, 2025 that remove the By-law's definition of fraud because listing every fraudulent scenario was not possible, so the meaning of fraud now comes from the Real Estate Trading Act and the common law. The same update adds a broker and managing associate broker duty under By-law 701 to report to the Commission licensee misconduct relating to fraud, deception, theft or unlawful activities.

Article revised May 2, 2025; by-law effective July 1, 2025.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2025-02-24

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Discipline · other (false investment promises to clients) · licensees

A Clemmons broker made false promises to broker clients to induce them to invest in investment opportunities, engaged in unlicensed brokerage, and ignored Commission inquiries. His license was permanently revoked after a hearing effective January 2, 2025.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Georgia · 2025-02

Georgia Real Estate Commission (GREC) · Rule change · deed/title fraud · licensees

In its Year in Review 2024 article, the Commission summarizes HB 1292 (Deed Theft), stating that to further prevent the filing of fraudulent deeds the filer of a deed must now go through steps to be identified, which makes it more difficult and risky to file a forged deed. The same issue summarizes HB 1017, under which a squatter must give a written affidavit and a false claim can carry up to 10 years plus a fine for fraud.

Commission summary of 2024 state laws.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Illinois · 2025-02

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Real Estate · Discipline · other (dishonest dealing with client funds; aiding an unlicensed entity) · licensees

A Chicago managing broker and his real estate corporation each had their licenses revoked for a minimum of ten years and were fined $1,300,000 each for failing to remit or account for others' money, failing to deposit escrow funds, commingling, false advertising, aiding unlicensed practice, and dishonest dealing described as likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public. This may be the same matter as the foreclosure-assistance case summarized in the Spring 2026 Review.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · 2025-01-27

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Guidance · wire fraud · licensees

The case study describes a newly licensed provisional broker who forwarded fake wiring instructions sent by a hacker who had accessed the law firm's email, without advising the first-time buyer to confirm them with the closing attorney, and the buyer lost $42,000. The Commission concluded both the provisional broker and the broker-in-charge acted incompetently and says brokers must safeguard client funds and direct clients to the closing office's own confirmation protocols.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

British Columbia · 2025-01-24

BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) · Discipline · mortgage fraud · both

A trading services representative with a Lower Mainland brokerage consented to cancellation of her licence, a $75,000 discipline penalty and $7,000 in enforcement expenses after referring at least 14 clients to an unregistered mortgage broker who altered documents to obtain financing, relaying his instructions to conceal an owner-occupancy problem, and using fabricated income records for her own 2014 mortgage.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Hawaii · 2025-01-24

Hawaii Real Estate Commission (DCCA) · Discipline · other (fabricated inflated contractor estimate under the licensee's undisclosed company) · licensees

A Maui County salesperson managing a Wailuku property outside his brokerage hired an unlicensed contractor for renovations and then gave the homeowner a separate estimate that added $2,000 to the contractor's quote, listing his own unlicensed company as the contractor without disclosing he owned it. The Commission revoked his license.

Settlement approved Jan 24, 2025; published May 2025.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

British Columbia · 2025-01-06

BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) · Discipline · mortgage fraud · both

A trading services representative consented to cancellation of his licence, a $75,000 discipline penalty and $2,950 in expenses after referring at least five clients to an unregistered, previously suspended individual who created fraudulent income records for mortgage financing, and after his own two property purchases were financed with applications showing income many times his genuine tax-return income. He also failed to disclose a conflict of interest when he lent a client $300,000 secured on a Surrey property.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

British Columbia · 2025-01-06

BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) · Discipline · mortgage fraud · both

A trading services representative consented to cancellation of her licence and $5,000 in expenses after she used an unregistered mortgage broker under a cease and desist order to obtain a $468,000 mortgage on her own 2017 Abbotsford purchase, supported by falsified documents showing roughly $86,000 to $97,000 in annual income when her genuine returns showed under $6,000.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

British Columbia · 2025-01-06

BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) · Discipline · mortgage fraud · both

A former submortgage broker consented to a permanent bar from registration, a $50,000 administrative penalty and $2,500 in costs after admitting he facilitated as many as 165 mortgage applications between 2015 and 2018 for a suspended, unregistered broker who met borrowers and altered documents, submitting income, banking and employment documents he knew or ought to have known were not genuine for borrowers he had never met.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Arizona · 2025-01

Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE) · Guidance · wire fraud · consumers

The ADRE Buyer Advisory, published with the Arizona Association of REALTORS, carries a Wire Fraud resource section that warns cyber criminals may hack email accounts and send emails with fake wiring instructions. It tells buyers to independently confirm wiring instructions in person or by phone before sending money.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Alaska · undated

Alaska Real Estate Commission · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · licensees

The Commission reports fraudulent communications from people claiming to be investigators or licensing examiners in its office, including emails asking for documents through a link, calls claiming a licensee's name is tied to criminal activity, and convincing license action letters. It tells licensees to hang up and call the Investigations Unit, not to click links, and states it will never send a link to upload documents.

Posted on the Commission home page with no date; read Oct 18, 2026.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Michigan · undated

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing · Guidance · phishing/spoofing · licensees

The Bureau of Professional Licensing maintains a standing page describing spam emails, fraudulent websites and calls from people impersonating LARA staff, with examples such as fake Action Required, LARA Compliance and suspension-notice emails. It tells licensees that LARA sites use the Michigan.gov domain and not to click links in unsolicited messages asking them to validate personal data; the page is not real estate specific.

Standing page; shows a 2026 copyright and no publication date.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

New Jersey · undated

New Jersey Real Estate Commission (Department of Banking and Insurance) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · licensees

The Commission warned that a phishing email campaign is targeting its licensees with messages that falsely appear to come from its Licensing Services Unit, using personalized subject lines, an unauthorized state seal, and references to a document that supposedly needs review. It advised licensees not to open unexpected links or attachments, to confirm senders through a separate channel, and to call the Commission to confirm any unexpected email.

Posted on the Commission home page with no date; read Oct 18, 2026.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

North Carolina · undated

North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) · Alert · phishing/spoofing (impersonation of the regulator) · licensees

The Commission's home page tells brokers to beware of text messages claiming their license has not been renewed and states that the Commission does not contact brokers by text. It says not to click links in suspicious texts and that NCREC.gov is the only place to renew a broker license.

Home page notice with no date; read Oct 18, 2026.

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18

Oklahoma · undated

Oklahoma Real Estate Commission (OREC) · Alert · seller impersonation (vacant land) · both

OREC published a consumer alert stating that scammers impersonate owners of vacant or unoccupied land, often out-of-state or inherited parcels with no mortgage, and list or sell the land without the owner's consent, typically at a below-market price with a pressured cash closing and a notary the scammer chooses. It lists red flags, tells owners to monitor county records and post signs, tells licensees to confirm the seller by certified mail to the tax address and to alert the broker and title company, and directs suspected cases to local law enforcement and the Oklahoma Attorney General's Consumer Protection Unit.

PDF carries no date; linked from the Consumers page (last modified June 1, 2026).

Link last confirmed on 2026-10-18