NAR's new fraud resource: what sellers can use

On October 1, 2026, the National Association of Realtors launched "Protecting Your Clients and Your Business From Fraud," an online resource about preventing, spotting and reporting real estate fraud. It is built for agents and brokers. But many of the same scams can target a seller's money and identity.

What did NAR launch?

NAR says the resource is organized around preventing, detecting and reporting fraud. It covers wire fraud, identity theft, anti-money-laundering, mortgage fraud and title fraud, among other topics.

It lists red flags at four points: before listing, during the transaction, at closing and after closing. It also covers basic security habits, including multifactor authentication and password managers. NAR tells brokerages to write down fraud-response steps and train staff and clients.

What warning signs does it list?

NAR names these signs:

• A seller who refuses to verify their identity.
• Documents that don't appear to match.
• Sudden changes to wire or money-transfer instructions.
• Suspicious emails or requests for information.
• Parties who refuse phone, in-person or video contact.

For an email or changed payment instruction, NAR says to check another way. Use a phone number or contact method you got on your own, not one in the message. It also says not to rely only on email or text to confirm identity, ownership, wire details or banking information.

Why does a seller care?

A NAR article says fraudsters can pretend to be people involved in a sale and redirect money. That can include earnest money, closing funds, commissions, down payments, or seller and loan proceeds. Fraudsters have also forged IDs and property deeds. They have spoofed phone numbers and email addresses too.

The seller's proceeds are one of those targets. A scammer may also use the seller's identity. A separate NAR consumer guide says property documents and ownership are best verified through title companies and other trusted parties. It says not to rely only on digital copies that could have been altered.

Our post on wire fraud warning signs for sellers explains how the scam works. You can also read about wire fraud in plain words in our glossary.

What does NAR say to do after a transfer?

NAR's guidance for a suspected victim is a list of steps:

1. Contact the sending financial institution immediately. Ask it to start fraud-response procedures and request a recall or reversal.
2. Tell the people in the transaction, such as the broker, title company, escrow company, closing attorney and lender.
3. File a detailed complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, and contact the local FBI field office and police.
4. Keep emails, texts, voicemail, payment instructions, account details and a written timeline.

NAR's consumer guide calls the first 24 to 48 hours generally the most critical.

What do states add?

Rules about deed theft and recording differ by state. A title-industry source reports that four states require county recorders to offer electronic notification. Five require photo ID when real estate documents are filed. Ten let recorders step in when they suspect fraud. That is one company's count. A state's own recorder can say what applies there.

Is NAR's fraud resource for sellers?

It's written for Realtors and brokerages, but the red flags and the reporting steps describe scams that target sellers' proceeds and identities too. Nothing on it is advice about a particular sale.

How do people verify changed wire instructions?

NAR advises checking through a phone number or contact method obtained independently of the message, and not relying only on email or text. If instructions changed unexpectedly, NAR says to stop further transfers and alert the broker and others in the deal.

Who do you report wire fraud to?

NAR lists the sending bank first, then the transaction's participants, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, the local FBI field office and local police. It also says to keep every message and a written timeline.

Does this mean wire fraud is getting worse?

NAR doesn't say that in this launch. Its articles describe the methods as evolving, including forged IDs and spoofed numbers. Our wire fraud post has the FBI's complaint counts, with their limits.