Fake Agents, Fake Listings & AI: Can You Trust Who You’re Talking To?

Here's what makes modern fraud particularly unsettling:

You can verify someone's name.

Find their real estate license.

See their photograph.

Find their brokerage.

And still be talking to the wrong person.

In April 2026, the California Department of Real Estate warned that scammers were using legitimate California real estate professionals' names, license numbers, photographs and information to create fake social media accounts and Craigslist listings.

Think about what that means.

"Look up my license" is no longer always enough.

A scammer may be giving you a real license number that belongs to someone else.

Verification Has Changed

If you're communicating with a real estate professional you've never met, don't only ask:

"Is this person licensed?"

Ask:

"Am I actually communicating with the person who owns that license?"

Independently find the professional or brokerage.

Compare phone numbers.

Look carefully at email domains.

Call the brokerage using independently sourced information if something seems unusual.

Be cautious when conversations suddenly move to a different account or platform.

Then Add AI

Artificial intelligence can create increasingly convincing:

• Written communications
• Images
• Voices
• Documents
• Online identities

California DRE issued guidance on artificial intelligence in real estate in 2026, reflecting how quickly these technologies are entering the industry.

AI itself isn't the scam.

Impersonation is.

Technology simply gives criminals better tools.

Social Media Deserves Special Attention

A polished Instagram or TikTok account doesn't prove someone's identity.

Follower counts don't verify a license.

A professional headshot doesn't prove the person messaging you owns the photograph.

If someone is soliciting money, deposits, sensitive documents or a real estate transaction through social media, independently verify them outside the platform.

The Same Rule Applies to Listings

A beautiful property posted online doesn't prove the person advertising it has the authority to rent or sell it.

Scammers can copy photographs and descriptions from legitimate listings and repost them elsewhere.

The FTC has documented tens of thousands of consumer reports involving rental scams since 2020.

Ask Arielle

Q: Someone messaged me from an account using a REALTOR®'s name and license number. How do I verify them?

Don't rely on information the account gives you.

Independently search for the agent and brokerage, verify the license through California DRE and contact the professional using independently sourced information.

You aren't being rude.

You're protecting yourself.

Arielle Dixon, REALTOR®
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno
CalDRE #02056018