Fraud Alerts

June 30, 2026

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) recently issued a warning regarding a new real estate-related identity theft scheme in which criminals impersonate the owners of vacant property parcels to attempt to illegally sell the parcels without the rightful owner’s knowledge or consent.

These criminals create fake driver’s licenses, passports, emails, and internet phone numbers using the property owner’s information obtained through government websites, such as county GIS databases, data brokers, phishing schemes, and the dark web. REALTORS® and title companies are then unknowingly involved in the scheme as the criminals pose as the rightful owner using these fraudulent documents to have contracts created for the marketing and sale of the vacant property parcel. The proceeds are then directed to a co-conspirator in a different state.

You can read the full Public Service Announcement from the FBI here: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA260616

Please do your part to keep yourself and potential buyers safe. Here are a few simple steps to help you identify a potential scam:

The seller refuses to meet in person and strictly communicates via email and text.
- Verify a potential client’s phone number using Forewarn, a safety tool provided to all Tucson Association of REALTORS® (T.A.R) Members. Forewarn provides you with an instant background check to validate their identity using their phone number. This tool is available at no additional cost to T.A.R Members.
- To opt-in to this free safety tool and activate your Forewarn account, visit https://www.tucsonrealtors.org/realtor-safety/ or call the T.A.R front desk at (520) 327-4218.

The seller is rushing the transaction to close the sale quickly.
You are a professional in this industry who knows the market and how long these processes typically take. If a potential client offers to sell the property well below market value or is pressuring potential buyers to close quickly, take additional steps to verify the seller’s identity and confirm they are the rightful owner of the property.

The seller provides inconsistent information or is unable to provide essential documents.
- Check property records to verify their claims as well as owner and property information. A quick check of Realist, MLSSAZ’s tax data suite, or the County Assessor or Recorder’s office can help in identifying a fraudulent seller.

MLSSAZ takes your listing and data safety seriously. That is why all subscribers are provided with access to Property Shield, a complimentary service that continuously monitors the internet for fraudulent listings. Property Shield is also expected to launch its Ownership Verification service soon, which will help verify the rightful owner of a property for an additional fee.

Members of the Tucson Association of REALTORS ® are also provided with Forewarn access which allows you to conduct a background check of any potential clients using only a phone number or name.

If you or one of your clients has fallen victim to this impersonation scam, file a complaint with IC3 at www.ic3.gov and include any information or documentation that may assist with the investigation.

April 23, 2026

MLSSAZ has been made aware of potentially fraudulent activity targeting users. Agents have reported receiving emails from potential clients stating that they came across their property on Zillow and are interested in learning more about it. These potential clients then create a meeting with the agent via Zoom. However, instead of the link being to a legitimate Zoom meeting, it is part of a phishing scheme designed to capture your personal login information.

MLSSAZ is sharing this information in an effort to keep our users informed and aware of current fraudulent activity.

Here are some ways to keep you and your data safe:

Always verify the sender’s email address and look for inconsistencies
- If the email says it is from John Smith but the email address says sam_anderson001, take extra steps to verify their identity

Be the one to create a virtual meeting and invite the potential client, not the other way around
- This way you remain at the center of the interactions and can verify the legitimacy of all meeting links
- Utilize your brokerage’s virtual meeting software if available

If you are a member of the Tucson Association of REALTORS, be sure to opt-in to Forewarn at no additional cost
- Forewarn is a safety tool that allows you to perform an instant background check or validate a potential client’s identity using only their phone number or name via the Forewarn mobile app
- To opt-in today, call the TAR front desk at (520) 327-4218

Stay vigilant and take proactive steps to verify all communications to help protect both you and your clients from potential fraud.