ChatGPT knows about wire fraud. Here’s what it said about this very important topic.

What do you know about ChatGPT? There are multiple examples of this AI-driven service being helpful in real estate, so we asked it two simple questions “What is real estate wire fraud?” and “How to prevent your email from being hacked?”

Hopefully, you know how these two questions are related. Real estate wire fraud is something all of us in this business should be talking to our customers about as much as we can. Email hacking, and phishing, is the most common way cybercriminals start these kinds of scams.

Here’s what the AI service spit out to us. We curated the responses to tailor them to our customers and added a few of our own words.

Wire fraud scams typically involve phishing emails, fraudulent websites, or social engineering tactics to trick victims into thinking that they are sending money to legitimate accounts when the funds are being diverted to accounts controlled by the fraudsters. Criminals can impersonate anyone involved – real estate agents, title companies, loan officers (basically any of us.) These emails often seem legitimate on the first read, so be careful with all messages involving your deal.

To avoid falling victim to real estate wire fraud, it is important to be cautious when receiving emails or other communications related to real estate transactions. Always verify the authenticity of any requests for funds and be wary of any unusual or unexpected requests for payment.

That last paragraph – music to our ears. We always want our customers to be wary if someone is saying there is a change at the last-minute. There are many moving parts when it comes to your transaction, but how you should get the money to us is rarely one of them.

Then, we asked how to keep your email safe from hackers, and the robots gave us these tips.

• Enable two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your email account by requiring a code in addition to your password to log in. This helps prevent unauthorized access to your account, even if your password is compromised. Speaking of passwords, make sure those are strong and unique.
• Be cautious with personal information: Avoid sharing personal information in your emails, such as your Social Security number, bank account details, or credit card information.
• Be wary of links and attachments. They may contain malware or phishing scams designed to steal your personal information.
• Keep your software up to date and use antivirus software. This includes both your computer and your mobile devices. Outdated software may contain vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.

Let’s keep talking to our customers about wire fraud all summer long. No matter what help you need to get the message out, it’s always one worth repeating. Thank you for continuing to trust Birthright Title to keep your buyers and sellers secure.