Are You Protecting Your Digital House From Cybercrime? A Guide for Pearland Home Buyers

Your home has locks, a roof and a foundation. It also has a digital side: the Wi-Fi network, the smart thermostat, the doorbell camera and the email inbox full of closing documents. Criminals know that buying a home is the moment when large sums of money move by wire and personal information flows through email, which makes Pearland home buyers an attractive target. It helps to think of your computer and devices as a house where you store your personal data. This guide from GC Home Inspection shows you how to lock that house up, with extra attention to the weeks around your home purchase.

What Is Your "Digital House"?

Your digital house is every device, account and network that holds your personal information: your computer and phone, your home router, your smart-home devices and the email, banking and investment accounts you reach through them. Like a physical home, it needs regular maintenance, good locks and a periodic inspection for weak spots. And like a physical home, the cheapest time to fix a problem is before someone takes advantage of it.

During a home purchase, your digital house holds more valuables than usual. Your inbox fills with bank statements, pay stubs, tax returns, loan documents and contract details, and dozens of messages fly between you, your lender and the title company. Every one of those messages is a chance for a criminal to slip in a convincing fake. That is why the weeks between your accepted offer and your closing day are the time to be most careful about every link you click and every request for money or personal information.

What Are the Most Common Types of Cybercrime Homeowners Face?

The most common threats homeowners face are phishing, malware and data breaches, and home buyers face one more: wire fraud aimed at closing funds.

• Phishing: a fake email or text designed to look like it comes from a trusted source, urging you to click a link, open an attachment or share account details.
• Malware: malicious software, including spyware, ransomware and viruses, built to gain unauthorized access to your computer, phone or apps.
• Data breaches: unauthorized access to sensitive personal information held by a company you do business with, which can expose your details to criminals.
• Wire fraud: criminals posing as someone in your transaction to redirect money you are about to send.

How Can Home Buyers Avoid Wire Fraud at Closing?

Never wire money based on instructions you received only by email or text; call your title company at a phone number you have verified independently and confirm the instructions before you send anything. In a typical scheme, a criminal watches a transaction unfold, then sends "updated" wiring instructions that appear to come from the title company, the lender or your real estate agent. The email looks right, the timing is perfect, and the money goes to the criminal's account. Protect yourself with a few habits:

• Get the title company's phone number from its official website or your contract paperwork, never from the email asking for money.
• Treat any last-minute change to wiring instructions as a red flag until it is confirmed by phone.
• Call to confirm the funds arrived right after you send them.
• If something seems wrong, call your bank immediately and report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

How Do You Secure Smart-Home Devices in a New Home?

You secure smart-home devices in a new home by resetting or removing everything the previous owner left behind, changing every default password and putting your devices on a network you control. Smart locks, keypad entries, garage door openers, doorbell cameras and thermostats may still be linked to the seller's accounts. Factory-reset them or remove the old owner's access, change entry codes, and reset or replace any router left in the home. Re-key or change your physical locks, too. A home inspection evaluates the physical home, including the electrical system and garage door operation, but it does not audit device accounts or passwords. That part is up to you.

What Are Five Ways to Protect Your Digital House?

The five essentials are keeping software updated, avoiding untrusted public Wi-Fi, using unique passwords with two-step verification, sticking to secure websites and official app stores, and deleting suspicious emails.

1. Remodel your digital house: install updates

Think of system updates as basic maintenance. Software makers constantly improve their products to repel the latest malware, so keep your operating system, apps and router firmware current.

2. Don't have a leaky house: be wary of public Wi-Fi

Free public Wi-Fi is convenient, but it is a common entry point for criminals. Use networks you trust or your phone's personal hotspot, especially when you open financial accounts or closing documents.

3. Keep your keys secure: use unique credentials

Usernames and passwords are the keys to your digital house. Choose unique passwords that don't include your name, address or birthday, and turn on two-step verification for email, banking, retirement and investment accounts.

4. Secure the doors and windows: use secure sites and app stores

Web browsers and app stores are the doors and windows of your digital house. Use web addresses that start with "https," and download apps only from official app stores.

5. Don't open that door: delete suspicious emails

That knock on your cyber front door may be a phishing email. Be suspicious of unknown senders, hover over links to see where they really go, and when in doubt, don't click. Delete the message.

How Does Protecting Your Digital House Connect to Your Real One?

Protecting both comes down to the same idea: find the weak points before someone else does. A thorough home inspection does that for the physical house, and your inspection report is a detailed record of your home, so store it securely and share it only with the people who need it. When you are ready to buy, our Buyer's Inspection in Pearland, TX checks the roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing and HVAC, and our thermal imaging finds problems hidden behind walls. See what to expect in our sample report.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is wire fraud in a home purchase?

Wire fraud in a home purchase is a scam in which criminals pose as someone in your transaction, such as the title company or lender, and send fake wiring instructions so your closing funds go to their account instead.

How do I verify wiring instructions for closing?

Call your title company at a phone number you found independently, such as on its official website or in your contract paperwork, and confirm the instructions before sending any money. Never rely on a phone number or link inside the email that asks for the wire.

Should I change the passwords on smart devices in a home I just bought?

Yes. Factory-reset or remove the previous owner's access to smart locks, garage door openers, cameras and thermostats, change every default password and entry code, and reset or replace any router left in the home.

Is public Wi-Fi safe for banking or closing documents?

Public Wi-Fi is a common entry point for criminals, so avoid it for banking, email and closing documents. Use a network you trust or your phone's personal hotspot instead.

Does a home inspection check smart-home devices?

A home inspection evaluates the physical home, such as the electrical system, plumbing, heating and cooling, and garage door operation. It does not check the accounts, passwords or network security of smart devices, so resetting them after you move in is up to you.

Does GC Home Inspection work for the buyer or the seller?

GC Home Inspection works for you, the home buyer. Our only job is to tell you the truth about the home's condition so you can buy with confidence, negotiate, or walk away. We are not working for the seller or anyone else.