{
  "id": 6344962,
  "title": "Un-real estate: property settlement scam risk rising",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/un-real-estate-property-settlement-scam-risk-rising",
  "topic": null,
  "section": null,
  "published": "2026-09-08T21:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Discovered",
    "slug": "discovered",
    "url": "https://illawarramercury.com.au/story/9346600/un-real-estate-property-settlement-scam-risk-rising"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Conveyancer Shelley Baker prevented a property settlement scam worth nearly $200,000 by questioning her client about bank account details on settlement day in Melbourne. The seller had unknowingly provided their account details to a scammer who had even impersonated the client, called the real estate agency, and researched the property. While many scams rely on intercepting emails, fraudsters are now using social media, AI, and cloned voices to create convincing communications. A recent survey revealed that nearly half of Australians cannot detect scam markers in emails and 99% cannot identify fraudulent email addresses even when informed of a scam. Property settlement scams, classified as payment redirection scams, cost Australians $166.8 million in 2025, a 9% increase from the previous year. To avoid such scams, Baker advises notifying the real estate agency immediately to confirm and provide bank account details verbally, using a saved contact number. She also recommends verifying the real estate agency in person, researching the firm online, and discussing communication expectations with a conveyancer or property professional. Real estate professionals are discouraged from creating a sense of urgency during transactions.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}