A Georgia homebuyer opened a fake email from her “attorney” - then lost more than US$155,000 in a scam, officials said.

Instead of wiring the funds to an attorney who would be responsible for closing the sale of her house, the money landed in a woman’s bank account in 2021, according to investigators.

Now, investigators have identified the bank account owner as 42-year-old Stella Mae Zebic. Officials said she “controlled and distributed the funds while in DeKalb County.”

As of May 6, Zebic was facing a charge of felony theft by taking in the Atlanta-area case. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation in a news release didn’t list information for a lawyer representing Zebic.

Officials said the prospective homeowner - a Hall County resident - sent the money after someone posed as her attorney.

“The victim received a spoofed email claiming to be from her closing attorney while in the process of purchasing a home in June of 2021,” state investigators wrote. “Believing that the email was legitimate, the victim followed the instructions to wire closing funds in the amount of US$155,477.46 to a bank account.”

Zebic was arrested April 28 and was taken to the DeKalb County jail.

As the housing market continues to be competitive, officials urge people to be cautious of scams tied to mortgage closings. Some tips for avoiding them include checking information with trusted sources, keeping track of contacts involved in the closing process, and being careful about the information you share on phone calls and emails, according to the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Lewiston Sun Journal.

If you believe you were targeted, it’s recommended that you contact law enforcement officials and your bank as soon as possible.

 - TNS