Fraudsters in Toronto recently used a REALTOR® to list a home for sale that they didn’t own.

While this kind of fraud is rare, the legal, regulatory, and reputational risk of this kind of fraud is extremely high.

You can protect yourself and our profession by taking these steps:

Take your time and confirm the identity of your potential clients. This is also a FINTRAC requirement. Here’s how FINTRAC recommends you verify your client’s identity.

If your potential clients refuse to provide you with the documentation you need, that’s a red flag.

Look for conflicting information and ensure the documents you’re looking at are original and authentic.

Make sure the name on the title of the home they’re looking to sell matches their ID.

Taking these steps will help protect our reputations and our clients.