January 23, 2026

DRE Urges Licensees to Be Aware of DRE Impersonation Email Scams

The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) urges all licensees to be on the lookout for an email scam circulating California’s real estate community where scammers are impersonating the DRE. The emails claim a formal complaint has been filed against the recipient, and that DRE has 'approved license solution for these Real Estate courses'. The emails use DRE’s former official logo. (DRE's current logo is pictured at the top of this page.)

These emails are FRADULENT. DRE urges you to not click on any links nor to correspond with the sender. It is not DRE’s practice to conduct reviews or inactivate courses in the manner described below.

Emails brought to DRE’s attention use the subject line "California Dept of Real Estate (Formal Complaint Filed Against You)" and are from the email address 'cheyenneschaeffer151@gmail.com’, but DRE urges licensees to also be vigilant for emails from other senders. DRE reminds licensees always check the recipients' email address – official correspondence from the Department will be sent from a ‘ca.gov’ email address.

If you have any questions about your real estate education requirements, please contact DRE directly at (916) 576-3366.

Example of known fraudulent emails:

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The Department of Real Estate is the regulatory agency that enforces the Real Estate Law, Subdivided Lands Act, and Vacation Ownership and Timeshare Act. DRE oversees the licensure of approximately 434,000 licensees. The Department’s mission is to safeguard and promote the public interests in real estate matters through licensure, regulation, education, and enforcement. Consumer protection is its highest priority. For more information, visit: www.dre.ca.gov.