BOZEMAN — Whether it’s for work or just scrolling for fun, nearly everyone uses the internet — and that means anyone online could become the victim of a cybersecurity attack.
Courtney King, who has spent more than 30 years in Bozeman real estate, says she’s run into more scams than she can count.
“They had sent her a Zoom link and wanted her to click on it,” King said, explaining an event that happened to another agent.
Montana real estate agents warn of new Zoom phishing scams
She says a new Zoom scam is making its way through the industry, with hackers posing as prospective buyers and sending phishing links to agents.
“[With links] they want you to click on it, and then they get total control of your computer,” she said.
From landline scam calls in the 1990s to today’s AI-driven attacks, King says agents need more transparency and awareness than ever.
“I recently started the Facebook group to let people know about all of the new real estate scams, and I think they are just going to get more relevant,” she said.
And it’s not just real estate–related scams. King says she was recently contacted by someone pretending to be Airbnb.
“I didn’t think of it at first. Then, when they asked if I wanted to change my password on my account, I was like, wait… I am getting scammed!” she said.
To understand these phishing tactics, MTN News visited Hoplite Solutions, a local cybersecurity firm.
“Someone sending an email, someone clicking on a link, a device coming online, what have you. Someone installing a new app. We take that information, analyze it, and look for anomalies,” said Anthony Cochenour, president of Hoplite Solutions.
Cochenour says their threat intelligence team created a report with multiple real estate–related scams circulating in Montana.
“[They could be] acting as a broker, or they may be acting as a false buyer,” he said.
He says scammers today aren’t just tech-savvy — they’re studying people.
“They need to get you out of your comfort zone and onto their turf. To do that, it’s typically a phone call, an email, or a Zoom on the more advanced side,” Cochenour said.
And in work environments like real estate, hackers want their victims to overlook the details.
“They want you to ignore what would usually be an office phone number, a cell phone that you might be able to look up or be familiar with,” he said.
With phishing link scams, Cochenour says the technology is advancing quickly.
“Cloning an email, cloning a website — these days it takes a matter of minutes,” he said.
He recommends using tools like URLscan.io, which can analyze a link within seconds and even identify what country the website originates from.
But the biggest advice? Trust your instincts, and take a step back.
“Take a moment — just take a moment — to validate an identity,” Cochenour said.
King agrees, saying, “You just have to pay attention, and if something is not right, just go with your gut,” she said.
