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BuyerDocs is a web-based software for real estate wire fraud prevention.
Platforms: Browser; mobile-optimized
Ideal for: Title companies, lenders, agents and brokers
Top selling points
- Minimal interaction with email
- Built on AES (advanced encryption standard)
- No password or account registration for buyers
Top concerns
Number of admin accounts that can be created by the title company’s “master admin” could lead to increased access risk.
What you should know
BuyerDocs‘ value is in its minimal use of email to send and manage wiring instructions.
The software is managed by a Master Admin at a title company who controls everything, including the number of admin accounts created for individual title agents.
Thus, very few people have access to a buyer’s information, and files can’t be forwarded or accessed without the Master Admin’s knowledge.
Both levels of admins are held to very stringent password standards upon account set-up, and each password is hashed before stored.
Hashing is an automated security measure that stores a complicated password as a fixed-length password, making it (virtually) impossible to break to reveal the original password.
Title companies can notify parties ahead of time to expect an email from BuyerDocs. Some clients of the company include a notification in their email signatures. For example:
“To protect you from wire fraud, Demo Title exclusively uses Buyerdocs.com for communicating wire transfer information to you. Do not trust any other emails or phone calls that instruct you to wire funds.”
When it’s time to close, BuyerDocs confirms the wiring information with the title company via phone on a verified number. The information is then stored on the server, which only BuyerDocs has access to.
Admins then create a buyer file using only the person’s email address, file reference number and office branch. (Again: the less buyer data, the better.)
This is linked to the appropriate file on BuyerDocs’ server and sent off to the buyer via the only email sent during the entire process.
The message introduces BuyerDocs, sternly reminds the buyer to not respond to any other wire request and provides a button to retrieve the wiring instructions.
The buyer opens the link to a custom landing page, enters an email address and title branch name and receives the wiring instructions.
That’s it.
BuyerDocs doesn’t require buyers to register, create an account or fumble with a password.
The buyer can choose to download or print the instructions, but it’s probably best to open them at the bank on a mobile device and hand them to the lender.
The landing page has a hidden captcha (completely automated public turing test to tell computers and humans apart) to guard against basic bot attacks. What really makes it more secure than a standard file hosting service is that it’s built on the 256-bit key AES, or advanced encryption standard.
AES is used by the National Security Agency (NSA) to protect its most sensitive files, and was developed under the name Rijndael by a pair Dutch cryptographers.
BuyerDocs was made by Abigail and Dr. Andy White, who who holds a Ph.d. in computer engineering.
Like me, the White’s believe there are too many agents, lenders and title companies using too many assistants to send, handle and control access to buyers’ financial information.
The White’s are not fans of encrypted email, currently the most popular security measure for sending wire information. No pun intended, the company has published a white paper on the topic.
Mortgage wire fraud is an egregiously unaddressed, industry-wide time bomb ticking closer to zero every day there isn’t a nationwide, NAR-backed consumer education initiative to diffuse it.
While it’s not up to agents to decide how a title company manages its business, they are certainly on the ethical hook for the security of their clients’ money. Make sure the closing partners you’re working with are taking the risks seriously.
Have a technology product you would like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe.
