BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A real estate scam nearly left one Brevard County resident out of over $1.7 million, according to the sheriff’s office on Tuesday.
In a release, deputies said the incident was reported back in July after hackers infiltrated an email chain between “parties involved in a large property purchase.”
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The hackers impersonated the sellers and changed the wire transfer instructions, causing the buyer to unknowingly transfer the full amount into the suspects’ account, deputies added.
Afterward, the criminals moved $750,000 into another account within the same financial institution,
“The victim discovered the fraud within hours and immediately contacted his bank, and they told him it was unlikely to get the money back,” the release reads. “Thankfully, the victim also alerted the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and our Economic Crimes Task Force quickly went to work!”
As a result, the sheriff’s office was able to recover all funds by 10 p.m. the same evening, investigators reported.
“I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone to remain vigilant against cyber and financial crimes and routinely check your accounts and transactions,” Sheriff Wayne Ivey said. “If you or someone you know becomes a victim of a financial cybercrime, call us and your bank immediately to help with recovering your money!”
No additional information has been provided at this time, including the potential identities of any suspects involved.