Real Estate Scheme Costs a Couple Life Savings
Amy P. Fennell • January 2, 2018
Sources: KUTV.com
and CNN
A fraudster posing as a real estate agent sent a couple an email asking for cash. Now, the couple may lose their entire life's savings.
The Browns, anxious to move into their new home, received an email that appeared to be from their real estate agent and title company. The message asked them to wire the funds. "We were so eager to get everything done in a hurry so we could move," Anne Brown said.
The Browns went to their credit union and followed the instructions they received in the fraudulent e-mail. The transaction went unnoticed for a few days until the real title company asked the couple's real estate agent, Carrie Butterfield, why she had told the Browns the incorrect amount of the wire transfer. "My response was, I never told the Browns to send a wire," said Butterfield.
Police and the FBI are investigating where the wired cash went and if it can be recovered. "We see the view of our dream home slipping away," said Anne. But the couple is sharing the lesson they've learned. "We don't want it to happen to anybody else, if we can help in a way. So, we're willing to swallow our pride," Brown said.
Want Your Teen to Own a Home Someday? Start Talking Money Now Teens may not be thinking about mortgage rates or down payments just yet, but the money habits they’re building now can follow them for years. And 88% of teens surveyed by Fannie Mae and Junior Achievement said they want to own a home someday. This week’s Consumer Guide: Talk to Your Teens About Money and Homeownership makes those conversations a little easier, covering everything from credit scores and budgeting to debt, renting versus owning and saving for that eventual down payment. So yes, you may have to interrupt the doomscrolling. But helping teens get smarter about money today could put them in a much better position to get the keys to a home of their own down the road. Download all of NAR’s Consumer Guides in English or Spanish at facts.realtor. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Teen Financial Literacy Fraud Red Flags Helping Family Members Become Homeowners Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season Condominium Insurance Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their home buying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. The next Consumer Guide, scheduled for publication on Oct. 21, will cover winter cold and storm preparedness.
Homeownership Is on Louisiana's November Ballot
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