ATLANTA, Sept. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- September is National REALTOR® Safety Month and Cook & James, the Atlanta-based real estate law firm which pioneered at-home closings, is observing the commemoration by offering two classes for realtors, one on cyber security and one on self-defense.
On Tuesday, Sept. 17, the real estate closing attorneys will offer Wire Fraud and Email Safety in a casual lunch and learn format. Americans lost nearly $150 million to real estate scams in 2018; Cook & James will share tips and techniques to steer clear of these scams which usually begin with a hacker's email.
"Cyber-crime is terrifying and such a big industry issue that, here at Cook & James, we devote a great deal of attention to educating not only our employees, but all our constituents about the dangers of fraud," said Kara Cook, co-founding partner at Cook & James. "At the lunch and learn on the 17th, we'll cover phishing, common scams in the real estate industry, how to analyze and identify a scam email, tips for avoiding wire fraud, and guidelines for wiring safety."
"No one is immune, and everyone must be vigilant," Cook added.
A second class on self-defense for real estate agents will be offered on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Cook & James knows that being a real estate agent can be rewarding, but professionals can also find themselves in high-risk situations when traveling alone to vacant properties, visiting unsafe neighborhoods or showing a property at night with strangers. Being a woman-owned firm Cook & James is personally vested and especially cognizant about safety issues and wants to equip agents with the training and knowledge to defend themselves if a situation takes a wrong turn.
"Since we pioneered at-home closings which quite literally take us anywhere that's convenient for clients, we are always vigilant and conscious about personal safety," said Heather James, co-founding partner at Cook & James. "It's our goal to help realtors learn practical skills and techniques to keep them not only safe, but happy and secure in their jobs day in and day out, thus we have brought in Self Defense Atlanta which has more than 30 years of national and international experience."
Wire Fraud and Email Security will be offered Tuesday, Sept. 17 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. at the Cherokee Association of Realtors, 1600 River Park Boulevard #104, Woodstock, GA 30188. Refreshments will be offered by Cook & James. Self Defense for Real Estate Agents will be offered Tuesday, Sept. 24 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. at Rockstar Cheer Atlanta, 101 Smokehill Lane #100, Woodstock, GA 30188. These are first come, first served events so please RSVP for a space at either event. Please contact [email protected] for more information. Note: for the self-defense class, please give notice at least one week prior to the event if a reservation must be canceled.
About Cook & James
Founded in 2006 to fill a void in real estate transaction services, the attorney team at Cook & James is a pioneer of at-home closings. Specializing in refinancing, purchases, corporate relocations and more, team members can be 100% mobile to offer buyers, sellers and real estate agent partners the flexibility of closing anywhere that is convenient, including at-home. Cook & James attorneys and paralegal professionals bring everything needed to the closing to facilitate a smooth experience. Using a proprietary at-home closing platform, the firm's residential real estate legal solutions and expertise include purchases, mortgage refinances, title clearance, deed preparation, corporate relocation assistance and more.
Kara Cook and Heather James are co-founding partners. The firm is based in the north Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta/Roswell, has a satellite office in Woodstock, Ga., and is also licensed to do business in Connecticut, New York and South Carolina. Learn more at http://www.CookAndJames.com.
SOURCE Cook & James
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