National Cyber Security Awareness Month

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National Cyber Security Awareness month is acknowledged in October in an effort to keep us safe and secure online. We want to continue this conversation by letting you know we have got some tips and tricks to help you look out for those meddling threats. Have a safe and secure October!

Click here to read about some common schemes to look out for.

Want to learn even more?

Review our Fraud Prevention video through our Education Center. Contact solutions@allegiantreverse.com for more details.

Common Schemes & Fraud Prevention Tips

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Here’s the thing that scammers don’t want you to know…they know we’re busy! The best thing you can do to help stay safe and secure online is to keep your eyes open. Make sure you are checking who your emails are coming from, where they are coming from and if you don’t recognize them then check their domain! Here are some common things to look out for – the best thing we can do is to be aware. We are here to help!

These are the Two Most Common Schemes:

  1. Business Email Compromise (BEC)
  2. Email Accounts Compromise (EAC)

The main thing that these two schemes have in common…is that they want to get involved in your transactions.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

  • Scammers may register their domains to be similar to a company you’ve been working with
    • i.e. charlie@smartwater.com vs. charlie@smart.water.com
    • If you are unsure…all you need to do is type “@smartwater.com” into your internet browser and if the website pops up, then you know it’s legitimate!

Email Accounts Compromise (EAC)

  • This is how wire transfers can get hacked – make sure you are double checking who the email originates from and who is continuing the email messages.

Here are some examples of what to look for:

Strange Email Domains:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Notice the email address
  • Notice the grammar
  • Notice how they mention wire transfer in an email
  • Notice the “Sent from my iPhone”

Wire Fraud

Due to the amount of volume happening in the reverse industry, it’s important to watch our for those who are trying to scheme their way into a reverse transaction. Real estate transactions have been targeted; here are some things to watch out for:

  • Altered/fictitious payoff statements to title/settlement agents impersonating as a mortgage broker, lender, borrower or borrower’s representative
  • Many reasons may come up with a new payoff request
    • Will state there’s an error in the original payoff statement
  • Make sure this is legitimate 
    • Most of the time the “updated” payoff is changing the banking information and payment options

In order to prevent these issues from happening, make sure you are verbally authenticating the information by using numbers or code words that have been verified and trusted.

Meet the New Faces at ARS!

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ARS Will Never Forget

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“The attacks of September 11th were intended to break out spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified…we are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.”
– Rudy Giuliani
Here at ARS we would like to take a moment to remember those who were tragically involved on this day 20 years ago…Time passes by, however, we will never forget. We want to honor those who fought and continue to fight for all of us to have our precious freedom.

September Webinar

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Fraud Prevention (CRMP Certified)

Wednesday, September 8th, 2021

10:00am PST/1:00pm EST

Join us for our new class dedicated to enhancing the security of your transaction. We have compiled a comprehensive overview of some of the most common ways you can detect and prevent fraud. Allow us to share with you ways to stay alert to fraud so you can protect yourselves, your clients and increase overall awareness of the dangers of fraud.

Note: CRMP Credit not available for California residents.

Click here to register.

 

NEW WEBINAR! At the Closing Table

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Spread the word, ARS has a new webinar course designed specifically for notaries! We will review the do’s and the don’ts, the good and the bad when it comes to reverse mortgage closings.

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

10:00am PST/1:00pm EST

An invite will go out to our pool of notaries but feel free to pass along to your network of notaries as well. The more the merrier!

Click here to register.

June Webinar

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The Borrower’s Experience – CRMP Course

Wednesday, June 9, 2021 

10:00am PST/1:00pm EST

While change is inevitable, the attitude and approach to change is entirely a choice. We have a unique audience when it comes to Reverse Mortgages, this means we have to have a unique approach to the way we sale, communicate and care for our borrowers. I’ve asked myself before, How do you do business at the speed of the 21st century with clients who grew up in a different era? Patience, Education, Repetition and Care. This class will give the attendees a bird’s eye view of the entire process from Marketing to Post Closing of a reverse mortgage transaction. It will cover some pit falls and how to avoid them.

A way for anyone involved to realize that while someone only handles one portion of the process, the borrower gets to be part of the whole process and can be overwhelming. A way for the attendees to be more empathetic to our borrower’s needs.

Click here to register.

 

May Webinar

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Live Demo: Property Profiles   

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

10:00am PST/1:00pm EST

This class will walk you through how to pull property profiles and sales comparables.

Click here to register.

April Webinar

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Title Review 101

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 

10:00am PST/1:00pm EST

Please join us as we will discuss the basics of title insurance, title commitments and how to review the reports for important and relevant information that will need to be addressed during the transaction.

Click here to register.

Don’t Be Fooled!

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PHISHING

Phishing emails are more frequent and creative than ever, so it’s important that we stay diligent when reviewing and monitoring our inboxes. Our team recently completed a webinar dedicated to educating participants about privacy and security. Below are some tips we found most helpful when identifying a phishing email.

  • Not personalized. For example: The introduction will read “Dear Customer”
  • Poor grammar, overuse of capitalization and spelling errors.
  • From a nondescript or incorrect email address.
  • Reply-To address is different than sender’s address.
  • Asks for account information.
  • Contains threats and commands,
  • No direct contact information given.
  • Before clicking a link, hover over it to confirm that you are being directed to the site displayed.

WIRE FRAUD

In this day and age wire fraud is one area that places a company at higher risk. The people attempting to intercept funds are becoming more bold in their efforts and have an understanding of our industry.

We know our teams are on the front lines to act as the eyes, ears and voice that has proven time and time again to be worthwhile.

Our client presented us with an updated payoff from the existing lender. They had received an email from the borrower that the wiring instructions had been updated. Nicole Snyder, Lead Settlement Officer, recognized that this was out of the ordinary. She promptly called the client to confirm wire instructions and then found that the new payoff had in fact been altered to change the account number along with a few minor additions/deletions of wording of the wire portion. Thanks to her diligence, Nicole prevented a potential loss of $153,000.

Our team is always available to verify wiring instructions to ensure all available avenues are confirmed before proceeding.