Fraud prevention
Payment redirection, identity fraud and other risks in property deals, and the checks that keep a transaction safe.
Money held by a Queensland agent: trust accounts and the claim fund
Deposits and rent held by a Queensland agent sit in an audited trust account. How the safeguards work, what the rare failures look like and how the claim fund repays.
Land banking and option deeds: testing a Queensland land offer
How land banking schemes sell lots and options over land not yet approved for housing, what ASIC's court actions record, and how a Queensland buyer checks planning status.
AUSTRAC sends formal notices to agencies that have not enrolled
A month after the enrolment deadline, AUSTRAC has begun issuing statutory notices to real estate and other businesses it believes should be on its roll.
Four in ten home buyers now feel able to spot a settlement scam
A national survey of recent and intending buyers finds confidence in spotting a false payment request has dropped to 41 per cent, as a bank stops a $1.2 million transfer.
Money sent to the wrong account: the first hours and who to tell
When a deposit, bond or settlement payment goes to a false account, time decides what comes back. The order of calls, the reports to make and the routes for a complaint.
Title fraud: how Queensland's register protects an owner's home
How identity checks, the land register and the State's guarantee of title work against a forged transfer or mortgage, and what the compensation scheme covers.
Anti-money-laundering rules: what an agency's program must contain
Since 1 July 2026 a Queensland agency that sells property needs a written AML/CTF program. A guide to the risk assessment, the policies, the officer and the reports.
Property spruikers in Queensland: seminars, commissions and the rules
What the Queensland Government means by a property spruiker, the warning signs it lists, who needs a licence, and which cooling-off period applies after a seminar.
Rental scams in Queensland: the warning signs before you pay a bond
Fake listings, false landlords and letters redirecting rent: how rental scams deceive Queensland tenants, and the checks the RTA sets out before any money is paid.
Payment redirection scams in property sales: the checks that stop them
How a deposit or settlement payment gets diverted to a false account in a Queensland sale, the moments of risk, and the checks the profession tells clients to make.