With wire fraud and other financial crimes on the rise in the real estate industry, Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty has taken a number of steps to protect our clients’ sensitive information. Those implementations include added layers of security for email accounts, active threat protection, firewalls, and more. All of our agents and employees are trained to prevent risk and identify potential threats. In order to help protect your financial information, here are a few best practices:

• When initiating a wire, always reach to the recipient by phone (not email) to confirm all of the details, including bank account and routing information. Best practice is to confirm the phone number through a Google search and not from an email signature.
• Don’t click on links or open attachments you aren’t expecting, or from anyone you don’t know. Everyone associated with Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty will always use their @mottandchace.com email account for business.
• Double-check the spelling of all sender names and email addresses — hackers have been known to impersonate legitimate accounts by making minor changes to a name or domain, for example, switching the letter “O” with a zero “0” or adding an extra letter.
• Be wary of suspicious text messages from an unexpected number purporting to be someone you know. Always verify the validity of the person’s identity by using a known phone number, and ideally, through a phone call.
• Be aware that your involvement in a real estate transaction makes you a potential target. Any suspicious correspondence or instructions to take immediate action should be followed up with a phone call.If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty sales associate.