This past July, as tradition would have it, I attended the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo. Even at 100 degrees and bad seats, I still enjoy a good rodeo, and Ogden has never disappointed. There’s simply nothing quite like the smell of cow pies, barbecue and deep-fried Oreos mingling in the air while country music blares in the background to say, “God bless America.”

Personally, it has never been a lifelong dream of mine to climb onto the back of a 1,500-pound animal whose primary goal is to launch me into another ZIP code; however, I do love watching someone else do just that. I appreciate the skill involved. These cowboys make it look almost manageable. And yes, women do it too, though we seem to be much more selective about our self-preservation since there are far fewer of us that participate. Either way, they climb into the chute, wrap one hand around the rope and wait for somebody to open the gate. Then, for eight seconds, all Sam-Hill breaks loose.

The interesting thing is that the experienced cowboys aren’t expecting the bull to behave. They know exactly what that bull is going to do. He’s going to buck. He’s going to spin. He’s going to try to get rid of them as quickly and violently as possible. These cowboys don’t climb onto these bulls thinking everything is going to be fine, even if the bull seems nice. Experience has taught them otherwise. Real estate, on the other hand, has taught me much the same.

After having been bucked off the proverbial bull or two over the years, I have come to develop a decent sense for when something isn’t quite right. It starts as a discomfort, right about gut level, and then morphs from there. It only takes seconds now to know if there is a red flag waving to indicate that there is a scammer ahead.

Just a few days ago, in fact, I experienced this exact feeling. I received an inquiry on one of my listings from a couple who said they were planning a relocation and that one of my listed properties had “really caught their attention.” Since they were still out of the area, they wanted to learn more about the home before making the trip. Then they asked if I’d be available for a brief Zoom conversation. They said they wanted to introduce themselves, hear more about the property and ask questions that weren’t easily answered by the list photos. They seemed polite, their time was flexible, and they would be happy to work around my schedule. At this point, I began to sense a little scent from the rodeo. However, it was the next line that sent me immediately knee deep in cow pie. “Just let us know what time is best, and we’ll take care of the Zoom link.

The whole thing was just a little too generic. These people were supposedly so taken with this house that they wanted to schedule a face-to-face Zoom call with me, yet they hadn’t mentioned one single specific feature about it. For people who were apparently ready to pack up their lives and relocate, they were remarkably uninterested in the actual house. They could have sent the exact same message to 500 real estate agents without changing so much as a comma. And I’m guessing they did.

As I had given my finally tuned sense of diplomacy the day off (as I often do), I quickly responded. “This ain’t my first rodeo, so find someone else to scam…or better yet, get a real job.” I had become familiar with this particular scam. This is a common one, targeting real estate professionals, specifically. Welcome to real estate scam #410443. Apparently fake sellers, vacant-land scams, hacked emails and wire fraud weren’t keeping these criminal yahoos busy enough. This scam, however, is extra dangerous. Especially since it doesn’t look “scammy” from the get-go. There were no misspelled words, bizarre capitalization or even a foreign prince who has inexplicably selected me from eight billion people to help him move $14 million of his country. In fact, the message I received was probably better written than half the real inquiries I get. Even the returned email seemed legitimate.

The Association of REALTORS® recently warned real estate professionals about a phishing scam that begins with an inquiry about an actual property. The supposed buyer claims to be relocating or otherwise unable to meet in person and asks the agent to join a Zoom meeting. Then they send the link. That’s when the bull comes out of the chute. The link may direct the recipient to download malicious software disguised as Zoom or otherwise compromise the computer. Once criminals gain access, they may be able to monitor emails between agents, buyers, sellers, lenders and title companies. Keep in mind, they’re not doing this because they’re fascinated by inspection deadlines. They are doing this because they are waiting for the money.

Real estate transactions can involve enormous wire transfers. Buyers send down payments and closing funds. Sellers receive proceeds. Title companies, lenders and agents exchange information throughout the transaction. If a criminal gets inside those communications, he doesn’t necessarily strike immediately. He just waits and watches. These guys are nothing if not patient. Then, right before hundreds of thousands of dollars are supposed to change hands, somebody receives an email announcing that the wiring instructions have changed. Except they haven’t. This is when the money gets wired to a criminal instead. And once it is done, it cannot be undone. Wiring money is not like writing a check, you can’t just put a stop payment on it.

Not only do real estate agents need to worry about this, but buyers and sellers need their own scam radar. If you’re involved in a real estate transaction and receive an unexpected email involving money, slow down. If someone tells you wiring instructions have changed, don’t verify those instructions by replying to the same email. Pick up the phone and call your title company using a number you already know is legitimate. Call your agent. Verify everything independently before sending money anywhere.

Scams have changed considerably since I started selling real estate. They’re more sophisticated. They’re better written. They’re more believable. And now, thanks to artificial intelligence, they’re only going to get better. But some things haven’t changed. Experience teaches you to notice the little twitch before the gate opens. And when something doesn’t feel quite right, you don’t have to climb on the bull just to find out whether you were correct. Sometimes you just close the gate. Because this ain’t my first rodeo.

Jen Fischer is an associate broker and Realtor. She can be reached at 801-645-2134 or jen@jen-fischer.com.