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TREC and TALCB Warn Licensees of Phone Spoofing Scams Impersonating Agency

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Summary

The Texas Real Estate Commission and Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board issued an alert warning license holders of ongoing phone spoofing scams in which fraudsters impersonate agency phone numbers to send fake texts and make fraudulent calls. Scammers have been contacting licensees claiming they are charged with "safety" violations, attempting to extract personal information including Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and credit card information. The agency clarified it will never initiate contact via text message and uses email exclusively for enforcement complaint notices, and will never request full Social Security numbers or credit card information during enforcement contacts. The alert also warned of fake Facebook profiles impersonating the agencies and advised recipients to report suspicious messages as spam rather than responding.

“The agency does not use text messages as a method of contact.”

TREC , verbatim from source
Published by TREC on trec.texas.gov . Detected, standardized, and enriched by GovPing. Review our methodology and editorial standards .

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What changed

The Texas Real Estate Commission and Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board issued an alert warning of ongoing phone spoofing scams targeting license holders. Scammers are falsifying caller ID information to mimic official government numbers and sending fraudulent texts claiming the recipient is charged with "safety" violations. The purpose of these scams is to obtain sensitive personal information including Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and credit card information. The agency clarified its official communication practices: it does not use text messages, uses email for enforcement complaint notices, and will never request full Social Security numbers or credit card information during enforcement contacts.

For licensees and consumers receiving suspicious communications claiming to be from TREC or TALCB, the alert provides specific guidance: do not share personal information, use caution when pressured for immediate information, hang up or flag messages as spam, and contact the agency directly through official channels to verify any inquiry. The alert also warned of fake Facebook profiles impersonating agency representatives offering assistance and advised against responding to such individuals.

Archived snapshot

Apr 25, 2026

GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.

Alert: Scammers Spoofing TREC and TALCB Phone Numbers With Fake Texts, Calls

The Texas Real Estate Commission and Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board will never text you.

The agency has received reports of text and call spoofing—a method where scammers deliberately falsify the caller ID to mimic a real government number. A recent example includes texts to license holders claiming they are being charged with “safety” violations. These scams are intended to obtain details they could use to gain access to your identity or your accounts, like bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, or other important information.

TREC and TALCB Will Never Text You

The agency does not use text messages as a method of contact. If you receive a text that appears it is from the agency, do not respond and report the message as spam.

How TREC and TALCB Contacts You About Enforcement Matters

The agency uses email to provide notice about a complaint and does not notify via text. In addition, the agency will never ask you for your full Social Security number, credit card information, or similar personal information when contacting you about an enforcement matter.

A Note About Social Media

We have noticed imposters responding to Facebook comments on our posts stating they are affiliated with the agency offering help if you send them a direct message. Do not respond and block these individuals. The agency only communicates using its official channels and not through individuals’ profiles.

What to Do if You Get a Suspicious Message

If you receive a suspicious text, phone call, or any other message from someone who claims to be from the Texas Real Estate Commission or Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board, follow these tips:

  • Do not share personal information such as Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords, bank or credit card numbers, or any other information.
  • Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.
  • If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent the agency, hang up, delete, or flag as spam and reach out to the agency directly. News and Article Category: Articles

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Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from TREC.

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Last updated

Classification

Agency
TREC
Published
January 9th, 2025
Instrument
Notice
Branch
Executive
Joint with
TALCB
Legal weight
Non-binding
Stage
Final
Change scope
Minor

Who this affects

Applies to
Consumers Real Estate professionals
Industry sector
5311 Real Estate
Activity scope
Consumer fraud prevention Phishing and scam awareness Identity protection guidance
Geographic scope
Texas US-TX

Taxonomy

Primary area
Consumer Protection
Operational domain
Compliance
Topics
Telecommunications Cybersecurity

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