Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate LLC EMPLOYMENT SCAM ALERT
Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate LLC strongly believes in the importance of protecting personally identifiable information of all consumers. Be wary of unauthorized parties identifying themselves as a "Hiring Manager" of Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate LLC or something similar and offering potential work opportunities.
We recently have been made aware of sham Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate LLC job postings on Indeed.com. After an individual submits a resume through Indeed, he/she is emailed by a "Hiring Manager" to set up an online interview via Google Hangout or a similar service. The scammers then attempt to collect personal information by falsely claiming it is for "verification purposes" or by providing a fake "Offer of Employment" on our letterhead and requiring that it be signed and returned along with a copy of a photo I.D and direct deposit bank information. A victim also may be sent a bogus check to cover equipment expenses for the phony position, then are asked to wire any remaining funds back to the scammer. Once the check is discovered to be counterfeit, the thief is gone and the victim is responsible to the bank for the entire amount of the fraudulent check.
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THESE TYPES OF EMAILS AND PRACTICES ARE NOT ORIGINATING FROM Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate LLC AND WE DO NOT SEEK CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS WAY.
ALL AVAILABLE JOB OPPORTUNITIES WITH Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate LLC AND OTHER REALOGY BRANDS AND BUSINESSES CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING LINK, AND ALL JOB SEEKERS SHOULD APPLY FOR A POSITION DIRECTLY THROUGH OUR SECURE ONLINE PORTAL AT: https://jobs.realogy.com/
If you have provided personally identifiable information (such as your social security number, bank numbers or credit card information) to an unauthorized party, please contact one of the following agencies to report this disclosure and receive guidance on any further actions you should take to protect your identity:
• FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
• FTC online complaint form (http://www.ftc.gov/)
• Canadian PhoneBusters hotline: 888-495-8501
• Internet Fraud Complaint Center (http://www.ic3.gov/)
• Non-emergency number for your local police department.
• The government agency in your country responsible for dealing with fraud.
For more information on wire-fraud scams or to report an incident, please refer to the following links:
• Federal Bureau of Investigation: http://www.fbi.gov/
• Internet Crime Complaint Center: http://www.ic3.gov/
• National White Collar Crime Center: http://www.nw3c.org/
• On Guard Online: http://www.onguardonline.gov/
BANK WIRING INSTRUCTION FRAUD ALERT
Recently there have been increased reports across the nation of a theft scheme that involves hackers stealing email addresses and sending fraudulent wiring instructions to homebuyers and tenants. Realtors®, lawyers, title agents and buyers could be affected. The criminal scheme has many variations and this notice is not intended to describe each situation. As an actual or prospective buyer or tenant, we want to alert you to the situation so that you can minimize the risk that you could be a victim.
We strongly recommend that before you wire any funds to any party (including your own lawyer, real estate broker or title agent whom you know to be involved in your transaction) that you personally call them to verify the wire instructions (you should confirm the ABA routing number or SWIFT code and the credit account number). You should call them at a number that you have obtained on your own (e.g., the sales contract, their website, etc.) and should not use the phone number that is contained in any email — even if the email appears to be from someone you know. A common aspect of the scheme involves the criminal hacking the sender's email (unbeknownst to them) and sending you an email that looks like other legitimate emails you have received from that party. The email contains the criminal's wire instructions and may contain the criminal's phone number and once your funds are wired by your bank to the criminal's account there may be no way to recover those funds.
PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION BEFORE WIRING FUNDS TO ANY PARTY. This notice is not intended to provide legal advice. You should consult with a lawyer if you have any questions.