Phishing, hacking, wire fraud - these are all ways people attempt to steal from others online. As real estate searches and transactions move more and more online, the chances of being caught up in a cyber scam have become even greater.

GǣBy now most people have heard of the Nigerian prince scams or phishing emails asking for social security or banking information, but many people don't know that they need to watch out for possible scams when buying or selling their home,Gǥ said Dana Carlsen, President of the Silver City Regional Association of Realtors. GǣThankfully, we have not experienced a high volume of cybercrime here in Silver City, but please know that your local Realtors want to help you through the entire Real Estate transaction, and if you ever have any doubt about anything, you should feel confident about asking your Realtor to help you with it. That's what we like to do... help you!Gǥ

Cybercrimes have become increasingly sophisticated over the years and the people perpetrating them focus on situations where a lot of money is changing hands, making real estate transactions an ideal target. The National Association of Realtors-