Imagine you are in the middle of a busy Tuesday, juggling three client showings and a closing, when a fresh lead hits your phone. The message seems perfect. A buyer named “John” claims he and his wife are currently in Rhode Island and are planning to relocate to Oakland. He mentions a specific listing and asks if you can assist with the transition. To “streamline the process” and ensure things go smoothly, he asks for a quick Zoom call and your best email address to send the invitation.
For many real estate agents, this feels like a standard day at the office. However, this specific interaction is part of a sophisticated phishing campaign recently highlighted by the community on Reddit and currently targeting the real estate industry. At ProTech Cyber Solutions, we have analyzed the tactics used in these scams to help you stay ahead of online threats.
The Hook: A Relocation Story and a Zoom Request
The scam often begins with an iMessage that appears professional and polite. The sender uses a relatable story—relocating across the country—to build immediate trust. They quickly pivot to a request for a video meeting, which feels modern and efficient in today’s digital market.
Once they have your email address, you receive an invitation. This is where the red flags begin to appear. In the examples we investigated, the link provided is not a legitimate Zoom address. Instead, it uses a tactic called typosquatting, where a link is deliberately misspelled to look like a trusted site.
A legitimate Zoom link will always end in .zoom.us. In this scam, the link is zoominviteei.im/ijoinzoom.us. To a busy professional glancing at a screen, this can easily pass for the real thing.
The Red Flag: The “Windows Only” Requirement
One of the most unusual and dangerous parts of this particular scam is the insistence on the device you use. The scammer may claim that they get “a lot of complaints” saying their links do not work on phones or MacBooks. They will strongly suggest you use a Windows computer if you have one.
This is a massive warning sign. Legitimate software like Zoom is designed to be cross-platform and works on almost any modern device. If a “client” is pressuring you to use a specific operating system, it is likely because their malicious link is designed to deliver malware that only targets Windows vulnerabilities. By clicking that link on your PC, you could be granting a hacker access to your entire digital office, including sensitive client contracts and financial data.
How to Identify and Avoid This Scam
Real estate professionals are high-value targets because of the sensitive information they handle. To protect your business and your reputation, keep these tips in mind:
- Scrutinize Every Link: Before clicking, hover your mouse over any link to see the actual destination URL. If it looks even slightly “phishy,” do not click it.
- Verify the Lead: If a lead seems suspicious, try to verify their identity through a separate phone call or text message before moving to a digital platform.
- Protect Your Devices: Ensure you have robust security software installed that can detect and block these malicious links in real-time. We recommend Bitdefender Total Security for multi-platform protection that covers your Windows PC, Mac, and mobile devices.
- Stay Informed: Regularly reviewing our guide on how to protect against phishing attacks can help you recognize new tactics as they emerge.
Secure Your Business with ProTech Cyber Solutions
Your email is the lifeline of your real estate business, but it is also your biggest vulnerability. Using a generic email address for professional work makes it harder to filter out sophisticated threats and easier for scammers to impersonate you.
At ProTech Cyber Solutions, we specialize in helping real estate professionals gain control of their digital world. We provide enterprise-grade secure email services tailored for small businesses and independent agents. Our solutions include custom domains, advanced spam filtering, and proactive phishing prevention to ensure that when a lead hits your inbox, it is a real opportunity and not a trap.