Staying Safe in a Direct Home Sale: What Verification Means and What You Need to Do

What Identity Verification Does

NestMatcher uses Stripe Identity to verify every user before contact details are shared. Verification involves submitting a government-issued photo ID and a real-time selfie. Stripe's system confirms that the ID is authentic and that the person submitting it matches the photo. Both parties must complete verification before any unlock. This is meaningfully safer than anonymous classifieds sites or platforms where anyone can create an account with a fake email. When you receive a verified person's contact details, you know that the name they gave matches a real, verified human.

What Identity Verification Does Not Do

Equally important: verification is not a background check. It does not screen for criminal history, sex offender registries, financial stability, or behavioral history. A verified user is a real person with a confirmed identity, not a person who has been vetted for character or intent. This distinction matters and we will not minimize it. The vast majority of NestMatcher users are honest people doing legitimate transactions. But you should still take the precautions any sensible person takes when meeting strangers.

Before Any In-Person Meeting — The Steps That Matter

Five steps that take 30 minutes total and prevent most problems.

At the Showing — Non-Negotiable Safety Practices

Never go alone to a first showing. Always go in daylight. If possible, meet briefly in a public place (coffee shop, parking lot) before going to the property. Keep your phone charged and accessible. Know where the exits are. Trust your instincts — if something feels wrong, leave immediately. You are never obligated to continue a showing or a transaction. There is no deal worth your safety.

Wire Fraud — The Biggest Financial Risk

Real estate is one of the most heavily targeted industries for wire fraud. The scam works like this: criminals compromise an email account (yours, your attorney's, or the title company's), monitor the conversation, and at the critical moment send fake wire instructions that redirect funds to criminal accounts. Funds wired to the wrong account are often unrecoverable. Protect yourself with one rule: always verify ALL wire instructions by calling a known phone number before sending any funds. Never trust email-only wire instructions, even from someone you have been corresponding with. Confirm with your attorney or title company directly using a phone number you obtained independently (not one provided in the suspicious email). If you suspect your email account has been compromised, change your password immediately and notify your attorney or title company by phone, not by email, that your account may have been hacked. If you suspect fraud, contact your bank immediately — wire fraud can sometimes be reversed if caught within hours.

What to Do If Something Goes Wrong

If you are in immediate danger, call 911 first. If you experience fraud, threatening behavior, or misrepresentation from another NestMatcher user, contact NestMatcher at hello@nestmatcher.com immediately. If you were a victim of wire fraud, contact your bank immediately — wire fraud can sometimes be reversed if caught within hours. Then file a report at ic3.gov, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Time is critical in wire fraud cases. NestMatcher cooperates with law enforcement. Document everything: save all emails, screenshots of messages, and notes of phone calls including dates and times. The more documentation you have, the more we (and law enforcement) can do.

What This Means in New York, New Jersey, and Florida