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Wire fraud remains one of the greatest risks in real estate transactions today. Criminals use increasingly sophisticated tactics — from email spoofing to AI-generated voice calls — to trick buyers and sellers into sending funds to fraudulent accounts. Once money is wired to a criminal’s account, it can be extremely difficult or impossible to recover. That’s why prevention and vigilance are critical.

The 12 Steps

1. Discuss wire fraud early. Bring it up with your agent, lender, and escrow officer at the start of the transaction.
2. Use verified contact information only. Confirm phone numbers and emails directly with your professionals — not from a random email.
3. Be wary of last-minute changes. Any change to wiring instructions must be verified by a phone call to a known number before you act.
4. Confirm instructions in person or via a secure portal. Prefer encrypted portals or in-person confirmation over plain email.
5. Examine email addresses carefully. Watch for subtle domain changes (e.g., hyphens, extra letters, different TLDs).
6. Secure your accounts and devices. Use strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication; keep systems updated.
7. Avoid public Wi-Fi. Handle wiring info only on secure networks; use a VPN if needed.
8. Watch timing cues. Fraud spikes near evenings, weekends, and holidays when offices are closed.
9. Double-confirm any requested change. Seek written confirmation from more than one trusted party (e.g., escrow and your agent).
10. Know escrow’s procedures. Ask your escrow/title company to explain exactly how and when they deliver wiring instructions.
11. Educate everyone involved. Share these steps with co-borrowers and family assisting with the transaction.
12. Act immediately if something feels wrong. Pause the transaction, call your escrow officer, contact your bank, and report to IC3.gov.

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