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Home Buyers Targeting in North Texas

When it comes to phishing attacks, get nervous because con artists are getting more and more sophisticated in trying to part you with your money.

Consider this scam that is now targeting people in the process of buying a home.

The Texas Real Estate Commission says homebuyers are receiving an email that looks like it's coming from a real estate agent, mortgage lender or a title company.

It asks the homebuyer to send money via a wire transfer.

The email address could be very similar to one you've done business with, but perhaps just a letter or two off.

There is at least one victim in North Texas and publicized reports show it's happened elsewhere in the country, too.

Experts in the security industry call it spear-fishing. Unlike phishing, where scammers blast an email hoping someone will bite, spear-fishing is tailored to its victims.

"Spear-fishing is an even better attack where it pinpoints a transaction you may have been involved in," says Geoff Bibby with Zix Corporation.

The criminals could use details you provide on social media, or perhaps even more troubling, they could take information they've gained from hacking into a company which has security breaches.

With new hacks coming to light seemingly every week, that leaves a lot of potential to people to be victimized once they've started to feel like their information is safe.

The best way to protect yourself is to always be suspicious.

Don't take down your guard just because an email is coming from someone you think is a friend or someone with whom you've done business.

Never send money unless you've doubled checked it first through a phone call. The same goes for links that are suspicious, as well.

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