Identity protection real estate

identity protection
Be proactive with identity protection (infographic from nsa.gov)

Even with precautions and laws to protect your sensitive data while conducting financial transactions, there can still be a weak link in the chain that can put your personal data at risk.  You may not have heard about the latest data breach, but it involved the potential leaking of over 24 million mortgage documents. Identity Protection during the real estate process takes awareness and vigilance. However, what do you do after the transaction is over?

The data breach to which I refer was discovered and reported by Bob Diachenko, Cyber Threat Intelligence Director of Security Discovery with the assistance of Zack Whitaker of Techcrunch.  This data breach was discovered by Diachenko just by searching public search engines.  According to Diachenko’s report (securitydiscovery.com/document-management-company-leaks-data-online), the unprotected database contained about 51 GB of credit and mortgages information.  The database potentially exposed more than 24 Million files.

Essentially, the over 24 million unprotected records (24,349,524 according to Diachenko) that existed on the database were likely scanned (OCR) from original documents.  Diachenko stated, “These documents contained highly sensitive data, such as social security numbers, names, phones, addresses, credit history, and other details which are usually part of a mortgage or credit report. This information would be a gold mine for cyber criminals who would have everything they need to steal identities, file false tax returns, get loans or credit cards.” 

Diachenko and Whitaker tracked down the owner of the database and found that the exposed database belonged to a third party.  After the database was secured, however, Diachenko found a second vulnerable server that contained original documents.

How is consumer iinformation handled through through institutional real estate transactions?

According to Whitaker, the documents date as far back to 2008, possibly further.  The documents concerned “correspondence from several major financial and lending institutions” including government entities such as HUD.  Whitaker stated that not all data was “sensitive,” however the database included: names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, bank and checking account numbers.  They also found some documents that contained other “sensitive financial information,” such as bankruptcy and tax documents, including W-2 forms. 

To understand the broader implications of identity protection in a real estate transaction, read Diachenko and Whitaker’s first (techcrunch.com/2019/01/23/financial-files) and second (techcrunch.com/2019/01/24/mortgage-loan-leak-gets-worse) report. The reporting of Diachenko and Whitaker is significant because it exposes how your identity and sensitive information can be mishandled in the broader financial transactional process that occurs between entities.  Even though direct correspondence with you may be encrypted and secure, security lapses can occur during the institutional transaction process (such selling and/or transferring a mortgage)

The moral of the story is that once your information is out of your hands, you cannot assume it’s 100 percent secure.  Even blockchain technology, which has been touted as a safe means of digital data management, has weaknesses.  And as governments and financial institutions are looking to blockchain as the “answer” to data security, there are reports of “attacks” of increasing sophistication according to James Risberg (Yes, the Blockchain Can Be Hacked; coincentral.com; May 7, 2018). 

Take your identity protection seriously when buying and selling a home

Be vigilant and proactive to protect your identity and sensitive information.  Be wary of unsolicited requests for information, even if it appears to be from someone with whom you are conducting business. Always make a call to confirm the request. Consider a credit freeze to prevent fraudsters from opening credit accounts in your name.  Check your credit report regularly and dispute errors.  If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, the FTC’s IdentityTheft.gov site can help you report it and create a recovery plan.  You can learn more about protecting yourself from identity theft from the FTC (consumer.ftc.gov) and the Federal Reserve (federalreserveconsumerhelp.gov).

Original published at https://dankrell.com/blog/identity-protection-real-estate

By Dan Krell. Copyright © 2019.

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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

Real estate big tech

The business of real estate seems to be turning away from actually selling homes and wants to be housing big tech.  Nothing is as it seems.  Real estate companies are now technology companies, and technology companies want more of your information to control your opinion and behavior.

How much control should big tech have over what you think and do?  It’s a compelling controversy that is currently being debated.  It’s not clear when the discussion exactly began, but there have been many who have been wary of big tech for decades.  Even President Eisenhower had something to say about it in his second 1961 farewell speech (the first being famous for his warning of the military-industrial complex) he also warned. “…we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.

Once called paranoid, those who feared big tech are being vindicated by the acknowledgments of data collection and leaks to third party users.  Additionally, reports of censorship and behavioral control are slowly making its way to public awareness.  Sounding like a movie plot about a dystopian future, consider the internal Google video that was leaked by The Verge earlier this year (Google’s Selfish Ledger is an unsettling vision of Silicon Valley social engineering; theverge.com; May 17, 2018).  The leaked video (seen here) discusses the use of data to not only change opinions and shape viewpoints that correspond with the company’s values, but to change behavior and shape society to “a directed result.”

Imagine being told where to buy a home, and which real estate services to use based on your behavioral data.  Big tech’s “guiding” of real estate consumers to homes and neighborhoods based on behavioral modeling algorithms seems like it could save time and effort for the consumer.  But it could also be considered steering, which is considered to be a fair housing no-no.

real estate big tech
Real estate tech (infographic from nar.realtor).

But big tech wants more of your data, at best to improve modeling algorithms.  According to a report in the Wall Street Journal (Facebook to Banks: Give Us Your Data, We’ll Give You Our Users; wsj.com; August 6, 2018), Facebook has been in conversations with banks to access users’ accounts and transactions.  The social media platform denied the story the next day.  However, the Wall Street Journal reporting by Emily Glazer, Deepa Seetharaman and AnnaMaria Andriotis is compelling given the report’s sources.  Some experts are also talking about Facebook wanting to become a consumer marketplace.

Zillow is also allegedly expanding its data usage.  Zillow announced this week of their acquisition of Mortgage Lenders of America.  The purchase is said to boost Zillow’s “Offers” program, offering mortgages for home buyers making offers on the site.  However, GeekWire reported (Zillow acquires Mortgage Lenders of America, posts $325M in Q2 revenue, up 22%; geekwire.com; August 6, 2018) Zillow’s CEO Spencer Rascoff as saying in the company’s second-quarter earnings call:

We’re taking our huge advantages, which are our audience and our brand and our resources, and expanding into other business vertically… .”

And it’s not just big tech that wants your data.  Traditional companies are realizing the potential of behavioral modeling and guiding consumer behavior.  Inman reported earlier this year that co-founder Gary Keller proclaimed Keller Williams a tech company (What the hell is Keller Williams doing? Lingering questions from the Vision Speech; inman.com; February 28, 2018).  Keller proclaimed:

“We are a technology company. No. 1 that means we build the technology. No. 2 that means we hire the technologists … We are not a real estate company anymore.”

Big tech is losing touch with the average consumer.  Home buyers and sellers don’t want to be told what to do.  Rather, they want to make organic decisions. While large real estate brokers seem to be moving away from actually selling homes to be real estate big tech, home buyers and sellers are turning to human real estate agents.   Instead of algorithms, buyers and sellers value trusted Realtors to help with the process.

By Dan Krell.
Copyright © 2018.

Original located at https://dankrell.com/blog/2018/08/12/real-estate-big-tech/

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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

Social media and housing

social media
Social media (infographic from dustn.tv)

You should have already realized that all of your internet activity, such as social media, search engines, etc., leaves your digital fingerprints.  In today’s interconnected world, you should assume your online profile, pictures and posts become the intellectual property of the online entities you use .  So, it should not faze you that Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress this week because of ongoing privacy concerns.  This week’s congressional dog and pony show will most likely not reveal much.  Nor is it expected to change social media’s influence on the public.

Does social media really affect your opinions and decision making?  Maybe.

Content providers have been criticized for deciding what people view through alleged censorship.  Besides your online social interactions and connections, the ads you see can also influence your opinions and behavior.  Consider Facebook’s targeted advertising system, which has been criticized for violating the Fair Housing Act.  A recent lawsuit alleges that certain groups are being discriminated against because advertisers can target ads based on age, gender, disability, family status, among other criteria (see Facebook Vowed to End Discriminatory Housing Ads. Suit Says It Didn’t; nytimes.com/2018/03/27/nyregion/facebook-housing-ads-discrimination-lawsuit.html).

In the internet age, data collection is big business.  Data collection allows marketing firms to target classes with their clients’ products and opinions.  Content providers have not only been criticized for collecting volumes of personal data, but also for manipulating search results and viewable content.  As it turns out, the FANGs (a collective term used for content providers, such as Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google) not only collect your data but can influence your opinions and behavior.  Especially when it comes to buying or renting a home.

You can surmise that real estate content providers (such as Zillow and Realtor.com) shape your opinions too!  They publish opinions and research about the housing market.   They also can influence your choice of real estate professionals.  They promote agents who pay for placements on their sites to get consumer leads.  These real estate professionals touted as “local experts.”

Social media influences housing decisions

A landmark study found direct evidence of social media’s impact on real estate choices.  The 2017 study by Baily, Cao, Kuchler, and Stroebel (The Economic Effects of Social Networks: Evidence from the Housing Market; July 4, 2017; Available at SSRN: dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2753881) used Facebook data to explore the multiplicity of individuals’ social networks, and then analyzed the effects of people’s interactions on their housing decisions.

They found that, indeed, social media does influence decisions on housing.  The research suggests that social media influences a person’s housing market expectations. When friends experience home price increases, home buyers will pay more for a home and/or buy a larger home. Additionally, renters are more likely to buy a home.  Likewise, when friends experience “less positive house price changes,” home sellers are more likely to accept a lower sale price.  The data also indicates that people will consider real estate an appealing investment when friends experience large home price increases.

The authors acknowledged that although this study examined social media’s influence on real estate outcomes, they suggest that effect is broader and can be applied to other subject matter.

Content providers wield great power.  They manipulate news feeds via algorithms.  They can also decide who they can ban from their sites.   It’s clear that social media’s influence goes beyond data collection.  It’s not only the social interaction among your connections that affect your opinions and behaviors.  It’s also the paid ads and promoted opinions that appear alongside your friends’ posts that solidify expectations and opinions as gospel.

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2018

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Protected by Copyscape Web Plagiarism DetectorDisclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

Protect your identity when buying a home

real estate

Last year, hackers targeted a number of retailers to compromise shoppers’ financial and personal information. A recent hack of a health insurer possibly jeopardized policy holder data. And Krebbs Security (krebsonsecurity.com) reported on February 15th about an investigation being conducted by the Defense Contract Management Agency of a possible hacking.

Surely the reports of stolen data by hackers have made you more aware of protecting your credit cards when shopping. But how protective are you about handing over personal information to mortgage lenders, real estate brokers/agents, and title companies? If not managed or disposed of properly, your sensitive personal information could be at risk of being stolen – an identity thief only needs a few pieces of personal information to access bank accounts, credit card accounts, health record/insurance, etc.

When buying a home, your information is “out there;” and you are trusting those who have it to protect it. If you want to obtain a mortgage, you must complete a mortgage application; which requires a social security number, date of birth, address, employment, and other information. Mortgage lenders also collect financial documents (such as w-2’s, tax returns, and bank statements) to verify income and asset information on your application.

Additionally, your real estate agent may ask you to complete a financial information sheet to demonstrate to the seller your ability to purchase the home. And as a means of record keeping, transaction files maintained by brokers and agents may also contain copies of deposit checks, credit card information, and other financial instruments.

Renters may be required to submit personal information too. A rental application is a lot like a mortgage application, asking social security number, date of birth, address, employment, and other information.

The National Association of Realtors® (nar.realtor) Data Security and Privacy Toolkit states that although there is no federal law specifically applicable to real estate brokers, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act applies to businesses that qualify as financial institutions; which may subject brokers to comply with “Red Flag Rules” (and other rules), and require policies and procedures to protect against identity theft.

States have also implemented laws to protect consumers from identity theft. For example, the Maryland Personal Information Protection Act (MD Code Commercial Law § 14-3501) describes personal information as an individual’s first name or first initial and last name in combination with any one or more of the following: Social Security number; driver’s license number; financial account number (including credit cards); and/or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Additionally, the law requires a business to take reasonable steps to protect against unauthorized access to or use of the personal information when destroying a customer’s records that contain personal information.

When choosing a mortgage lender and real estate agent, you might consider asking about the company policy on protecting personal information. Some questions about personal data might be: what types of information will be collected; what is it used for; who has access; when transmitted, is it encrypted; how long will the information be retained; and how will the information be disposed? Besides the management of your personal data, you should ask about procedures in case there is a suspected data breach.

To learn more about protecting your personal information and protecting yourself from identity theft, visit these consumer websites: FTC (consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft) and the FDIC (fdic.gov/consumers/privacy).

By Dan Krell
© 2015

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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

Big brother is watching – surveillance cameras in home listings

House

Surveillance technology is everywhere these days; some are obvious and others covert. A growing awareness of government and law enforcement surveillance has become a major aspect of the growing debate of “reasonable expectation of privacy.” However, in a time when many are pushing back against surveillance, home sellers are increasingly turning to video cameras to protect their homes, valuables, and trust. And as the technology becomes cheaper and easier to use, the trend could become the norm.

The thought of the home seller remotely viewing your activity may seem creepy at some level; however, you might reconsider if you caught the recent ABC’s 20/20 segment “Caught on Tape: Real Estate Agents Gone Wild.”   Highlighted were real estate agents who were caught on camera violating the trust of the seller; including: a Maryland real estate agent who was caught rummaging through a woman’s underwear drawer; the New Jersey agents who used their listing as a rendezvous point for sex; and a number of other agents caught stealing jewelry and prescription medicines from trusting home sellers. Real estate broker and author Brendon DeSimone, who was interviewed about how to protect your home during the listing period, suggested that the video camera can help you keep your agent honest; he stated: “just ‘cause they’ve done a lot of deals, it doesn’t mean they’re trustworthy.”

According to a Supercircuits.com infographic (The History of Video Security Cameras), the idea of “video monitoring” was first widely spread with the 1949 publication of George Orwell’s “1984.” Two years later, the first tape video recorder is operational. Since then, there have been mega leaps in technology making cameras smaller and easier to use. It wasn’t until 1992 when the “nanny cam” was introduced; before then, surveillance cameras were primarily used for law enforcement purposes and commercial applications. The “IP” enabled camera with onboard video analytics was introduced in 2005 as the internet technology and usage greatly expanded. Today, surveillance cameras can be placed almost anywhere and watched from any remote location.

Don’t get carried away with your voyeurism just yet; there are legal implications when using surveillance cameras, as well as possibly interfering with your negotiations. Rather than using the cameras for protection, there are some home sellers who are tempted to use the videos as a way of understanding the buyer by analyzing their gestures.

Does a home buyer have a reasonable expectation of privacy when viewing your home? After all, many sellers vacate the house so the buyer and their agent can view the home on their own; although sometimes they are escorted by the listing agent. Even though there has yet to be some ruling or professional opinion from a real estate board about the matter; an increasing number of home sellers are using obvious and observable cameras to monitor their homes. Aside from the “broker blooper reel” that was put together for 20/20, it seems as if the cameras have helped some home sellers go after rogue real estate agents.

For most people, a notice indicating they are being video recorded is enough to alter their behavior; sometimes a notice is enough to deter theft. However, there are some whose bad behavior is not deterred, even when looking directly at a camera. If you’re considering using surveillance cameras in your home during the listing period, you should consult an attorney about legal implications.

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By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2014

Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.