Today I received a text from a number 81787. This was not a phone number but appeared more like an opt-in number. The number said that I had received a “Pre-Qualified Real Estate lead” from Redfin (see screenshot). Problem is, I am not part of the Redfin lead program. But a lead for $10.00? Heck, I’m interested!

Once I clicked on the lead it looked very legitimate. There is a client name and contact info (with a few characters blanked out), there is a link directly to the Redfin website showing

the property the buyer is interested in, there is a link to Wells Fargo mortgage page, and even the terms and privacy links at the bottom of the page link directly to Redfin’s website. This looks like the real deal! But a $600k lead for $10.00? What’s the catch? So I looked a little closer.

Being in the web development business for over 25 years, I know when I smell a rat. There are a few things to look for when sniffing out a scam.

The biggest giveaway is the URL. Take a closer look.

You can see that the beginning of the domain name has redfin in it, but if you look closely you will notice that redfin is merely a subdirectory of the real domain name. It is separated by the period right after redfin. The real domain name in this instance is com-pre-qualified-lead.info and is no way affiliated with Redfin.
The installation of an SSL Certificate makes it look even more authentic.

This person is running a pretty good scam. I did a little searching online and it appears that Greg Humphrey is looking for property from Miami to Sacramento! At $10 per pop, if this person is sending out a couple of thousand of these per day to unsuspecting agents and 10% of these agents bite on it, that’s a pretty big payday.

They have gone into great detail in order to make this scam look real. Take a look at the image below. You can see the details are based on your specific location. So they change the zip code, area code, and Redfin property URL to show an active listing in the MLS where you are located.

So, next time you receive a text offering you a lead for a small amount of money, from a service that you don’t subscribe to, just delete it and block the number. In the meantime, please share this message with other agents by clicking on the share buttons and putting it out there on social media. Hopefully, we can put a stop to this person running around and sending these types of illegal scams to agents.

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