The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is warning its member agents to be on the lookout for a suspicious email phishing scam.
The email in question is coming from an address that ends in “elon.edu” and is reportedly riddled with typos and strange capitalizations, according to NAR’s Realtor Magazine. It does not contain the association’s logo and is missing other identifying features.
“In order to create a unified Realtor and affiliate list, we have come up with a database of active Realtors in conjunction with local Real Estate associations,” the email reads. “This is to help Realtors, Lenders, Title agents and Lenders have statewide access to each other, to assist new Realtors for mentorship purposes and education while also maintaining professional ethics and standards. In Lieu of this, please look through attached Member Directory PDF list and ensure your contact information and active Mobile Number is correctly represented.”
Under no circumstances should the email be opened. If recipients have opened it or entered any information, NAR is telling them to immediately change their “nar.realtor” password and any similar passwords.
Phishing scams come in the form of bogus or deceptive popups or emails and are used to steal a recipient’s information or install ransomware according to the Federal Trade Commission. Learn how to protect yourself.
Last month, a similar scam from an email, “presiidentceo@usa.com” attempted to steal members’ information.