Big, Bad, AI

It felt appropriate to start with some AI talk for this blog, since the next 5 years will be very scary for a lot of people involved in both real estate transactions and litigation. What I mean is, there is a very real chance (dare I say probable) that in the next 5 years, you will be the victim of a real estate or lending scam involving AI. I've been a victim three times already. Three different ways. But, I didn't lose anything. So, I've decided, you can't really prevent yourself from becoming a victim of these goons, but you can protect yourself from the devastating loss that can occur. The closest these goons got to me was listing my house for rent while it was actually for sale. They wanted to get an upfront lease payment and a lessee that was bamboozled into believing the owner just could not get over there to show it to them in person.

Craigslist legal was kind enough to remove the postings and we reported it. Our realtor even found out and notified us. It went better for me than it has for many people. And that's just one of a thousand different ways scammers are entering the real estate market these days. All without stepping foot near you, or in the country for that matter.

Some people believe that a robot would need to show up at the closing table, ask for money in that classic robot voice, in order for some crime to have occurred. But that's not reality. In fact, you'll likely not even know you're a victim until well after and no one responsible for it will be on American soil. It's then that you hope you haven't suffered a tremendous loss, let alone the time it will take to sort it all out and repair your remaining life. I've seen it and it is very, very sad.

That's because the top-level control groups behind these continued scams have gotten wise to the cheese and have setup their cells to operate without stepping foot in the United States. It's become an actual war, and a war that we are currently losing. In fact, I'm not even sure we've decided to fight yet.

The truth is that AI is fun and exciting, limitless potential, but of course, in the beginning, it's kind of ridiculous and doesn't work how it's supposed to. The people who were out there touting AI's capabilities were often let down by the reality of the product.

Enter the scammers.

See, the scammers want that AI bad. And they want it to work. Even if not perfect, they want a chance to finally use something other than the Nigerian Prince routine (still waiting for my check pal) and the frantic email from your cousin who is somehow trapped in Montana and can only get out if you, and only you, pay the $500 to help her out (and typically in gift cards).

No, no. The scammers have also evolved, much as computer learning and (almost) every aspect of society. They've developed solutions to get you back on the phone transferring fund, clicking bad links, leaving your personal information everywhere, etc. They've gotten so good that it's now just a numbers game. They send out 100 lines, they only need 5 bites.

But now, with the power of AI, your cousin is now right there in front of you on FaceTime telling you all kinds of things only you would know, and it's also her voice. The kicker?

Once these scammers have what they need (which isn't much these days, nor hard to find), they can send out thousands of the lines at a time. It's happening in all segments, but particularly real estate and lending. It's now an everyday occurrence. Many variations and all getting tougher in the very, very near future partially due to the swift advancement of AI.

Not all doom and gloom, however.

There are a lot of really smart people out there deploying AI for good, for protection. Data laws and the security of your information are becoming stronger (probably only better for the next generation, our info is gone), and more people are becoming educated on the subject.

But there is not NEARLY enough resources for cities, states, and the Federal Government to assist and respond to these matters. I speak from experience, and that experience tells me we are losing and will continue to lose unless we take serious corrective measures soon. We must develop and deploy resources for the protection of this great country's citizens. Federal and state law enforcement and task forces must be granted funding for important investigations and prosecutions. Other allies must allow the United States to track and detain suspects throughout the world. And enemies must be declared enemies in this new cyber frontier. The majoirty of these scams originate int he same places and all follow a pre-determined plan. A well funded plan, but still. This threat is real, and if you start asking around, you'll know someone or they will know someone who has been affected by mortgage, AI, cyber or wire fraud.

What can you do? Call and write your politicians and demand they advance legislation to combat the growing problem - citizens are having their life savings wiped out from scams and sometimes have absolutely no recourse. And no one is fighting for them against known enemies. It's time for that to stop. We ought to protect our citizens, especially the at risk population.

The next 5 years will tell the tale of the early "AI Wars". With a title that good, I hope the scammers don't steal the movie rights too.

Be bold. Be good. Be well.