Someone in Charlotte wired $40,000 to a scammer last month, thinking it was their closing attorney. It happens fast. And it happens to smart people.

I want to talk to you about something that has nothing to do with square footage… and everything to do with protecting your life.

Fraud is getting smarter.

And unfortunately, real estate transactions are one of the biggest targets because large amounts of money are moving around.

But even outside of buying and selling, identity theft and password breaches are happening every single day.

So here are a few simple things I personally recommend to everyone I care about. ______________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Freeze Your Credit

It is free. It does not hurt your score. And it prevents someone from opening accounts in your name.

You can freeze your credit directly with all three bureaus:

Experian
Website: https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html
Phone: 1-888-397-3742

Equifax
Website: https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/
Phone: 1-800-685-1111

TransUnion
Website: https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze
Phone: 1-888-909-8872

You can temporarily lift the freeze anytime you need to apply for credit. ______________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Monitor Your Credit

Apps like Credit Karma make it easy to monitor changes quickly.

Website: https://www.creditkarma.com

The earlier you catch something unusual, the easier it is to fix. _______________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Check If Your Email Has Been Exposed

There is a website called Have I Been Pwned.

Website: https://haveibeenpwned.com

You simply type in your email address and it will tell you if your information has been involved in a known data breach.

It can be eye-opening.

If your email shows up, that means your password may be circulating online and should be changed immediately. ________________________________________________________________________________________________  4. Use Passkeys or a Password Manager

Passkeys are becoming the new standard and are much safer than traditional passwords.

If you prefer a password manager, here are two popular options:

1Password: https://1password.com
LastPass: https://www.lastpass.com

They create strong, unique passwords for every login, so you are not reusing the same one everywhere. _______________________________________________________________________________________________

One More Important Reminder

I will never send wiring instructions by email without verbally confirming them with you. Ever.

If you are ever buying or selling and receive wiring instructions, always call the closing attorney at a known, verified phone number before sending funds.

No exceptions. _______________________________________________________________________________________________

I know this is not the typical real estate newsletter.

But protecting your identity and your money matters.

If you have questions about freezing your credit or protecting yourself during a real estate transaction, call me. I would much rather spend ten minutes helping you prevent a problem than watch you deal with one later.

Because being your Realtor for life also means helping you protect what you’ve worked so hard to build.