The Rise of Deepfake Scams in Real Estate

Deepfake technology has made impersonation scams more dangerous than ever. Imagine receiving a video call from what appears to be your real estate agent, confirming new wire instructions—except it’s not them. AI-driven deepfake technology can now clone voices and faces, creating near-perfect impersonations that are being used to deceive home buyers and sellers.

How Deepfake Scams Work in Real Estate

Scammers use AI-driven software to:

• Clone voices of real estate agents, attorneys, or buyers to confirm fake instructions

• Generate fake live video feeds where a scammer appears as a trusted real estate professional

• Forge video-based identity verifications to bypass security checks

Example Case: A title company in Florida nearly fell victim when a scammer impersonating a property owner scheduled a Zoom call. The fraudster used AI software to generate a realistic fake face, but the company detected something was off when the video feed showed unnatural blinking and movements. (FBI IC3 Report, 2023).

How to Spot Deepfake Scams

1. Look for unusual blinking patterns and facial distortions in video calls.

2. Verify identities using multiple methods, including live phone calls and in-person meetings.

3. Be suspicious of any last-minute changes to financial transactions.

4. Use encrypted verification tools when dealing with high-value transactions.

Read the final post on AI-generated fake listings and documents here