SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – February 19, 2025 – Qualia, the leading digital real estate closing platform, today announced the launch of new Qualia Shield features. Shield, a cutting-edge wire fraud detection solution purpose-built for title & escrow professionals, now includes $1 million in insurance coverage for eligible wire transfers¹, backed by Lloyd’s of London. Other enhancements to Shield, including public records checks and the ability to detect suspicious emails, provide even more layers of protection throughout the transaction lifecycle.

With the rise of sophisticated fraud tactics, including AI deepfakes and business email compromise (BEC), the real estate industry faces an increasing need for robust fraud mitigation measures. In a recent Qualia survey, over 40% of title & escrow professionals said that their companies receive at least one fraudulent email per employee per month with a request to change wire payoff instructions. In the same survey, 95% of respondents said that the frequency of wire fraud attacks on their business stayed the same or increased in the last year. The threat is real—in 2023 alone, real estate-related crimes resulted in over $145 million in losses.

Natively built into Qualia, Shield helps minimize entry points for bad actors looking to commit fraud. With identity verification using advanced facial recognition technology and multivariable risk assessments that review several variables, including bank details, for fraud risk, Shield provides title & escrow professionals with the tools they need to ensure a safe and secure real estate transaction for all closing parties.

“The increase in seller impersonation fraud and evolving fraud tactics has been alarming, but Shield has equipped us with the tools to stay ahead. It gives us peace of mind to know that we have proactive defense mechanisms to detect bad actors and prevent fraud before it can impact our transactions," said Christine White, Assistant Director of Operations at KVS Title, LLC.

Qualia Shield now offers title & escrow agents access to instant identity verification to combat fraud. This automated service analyzes extensive public records to confirm a person's existence and identifies potential risks. By checking an individual's digital footprint across various datasets, Qualia Shield helps title & escrow companies ensure they are working with real, legitimate people, without requiring clients to complete additional steps, like knowledge-based assessments (KBA).

Since ChatGPT launched in 2022, there has been a 4,151% surge in malicious phishing messages. Shield helps mitigate the risks of these attacks (and BEC) by alerting title & escrow professionals when an email appears to be suspicious. Because Shield is part of the Qualia unified digital closing platform, the new Email Link feature allows title & escrow agents to see whether an incoming email to Gmail or Outlook is from a known or unknown email address, helping detect fraud before a wire is ever disbursed.

“Title & escrow professionals are acutely aware of the large sums of money and sensitive information that flow through their hands which make them particularly vulnerable to wire fraud,” said Charlotte Brown, Vice President of Product & Design at Qualia. “We want to help the industry bolster its defenses in today’s evolving cybersecurity landscape. Shield offers multiple layers of protection against wire fraud and reduces vulnerable entry points for bad actors with built-in security features.”

With these new features and enhancements added to the Shield, Qualia delivers a holistic solution that protects businesses while simplifying operations and ensuring a secure and efficient closing experience. This approach significantly reduces human errors, mitigates risks, and enhances operational efficiency for title & escrow professionals.

For more information about Qualia Shield and its powerful fraud mitigation capabilities, visit qualia.com/shield.

^{¹Eligible wires have been reviewed in Qualia Shield and assessed as “low risk.” Additional terms and conditions apply and are available upon request.}

About Qualia

Qualia is the leading comprehensive digital closing platform used by title, escrow, real estate and mortgage lending professionals to transform home buying and selling into simple, secure, enjoyable experiences for millions of homeowners each year. The Qualia platform provides a secure system of record for the real estate settlement ecosystem through a suite of workflow, accounting, reporting, and collaboration products as well as its expansive product and service integrations. Qualia is headquartered in San Francisco, CA and has offices in Austin, TX, and Superior, CO. For more information on Qualia, visit qualia.com.

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