Protect Your Money: How to Avoid Wire Fraud at Closing

I don't like leading with a scary topic, but this is one I'd never want a client to learn about the hard way. Real estate wire fraud is real, it's sophisticated, and it targets people at the most vulnerable moment of the transaction: right before closing, when you're wiring your down payment and closing funds.

Here's how the scam usually works. Criminals quietly monitor email — yours, your agent's, the title company's. As closing approaches, they send an email that looks like it's from a trusted party, often with convincing logos and signatures, providing "updated" wiring instructions. You follow them. The money lands in the criminal's account, and by the time anyone notices, it's often gone for good.

It's frightening, but it's also very preventable. Here's how I protect my clients:

Verify wiring instructions by phone — every time. Before you send a single dollar, call the title company using a number you've independently confirmed (from their website or a document you trust), not a number in the email. Confirm the account details out loud.

Be suspicious of any change. Legitimate wiring instructions rarely change at the last minute. If you receive an email saying the account or instructions have changed, treat it as a red flag and call to verify before doing anything.

Don't trust email alone. Email is the criminal's favorite channel precisely because it's easy to spoof. A real person on a verified phone line is your safety net.

Confirm the money arrived. After you wire, call the title company to confirm they received the exact amount. The sooner a problem is caught, the better the chance of recovering funds.

Loop me in. If anything feels off — a strange email, a rushed request, instructions that don't match what we discussed — call me before you act. I would always rather field a "this is probably nothing" call than help you recover from a loss.

Buying a home should be one of the most exciting moments of your life, not one shadowed by fear. A few minutes of verification protects what is often your largest single transfer of money. That's a trade worth making every time.

I've written up the full set of safeguards in my Buyer's Resource Library here: https://buyers.laurelbrandi.com/avoid-real-estate-wire-fraud

Have questions about the closing process? I'm always reachable at (575) 640-6511 or homes@laurelbrandi.com.

FAQs

What is real estate wire fraud? It's a scam where criminals impersonate a trusted party — often the title company or your agent — and send fake wiring instructions by email, redirecting your closing funds to their account. It typically strikes right before closing.

How do I safely wire money for my home closing? Always verify the wiring instructions by phone using a number you've independently confirmed, never a number from the email itself. Confirm the details verbally before sending, and call again afterward to confirm the funds were received.

What should I do if I get an email changing the wiring instructions? Treat it as a red flag. Legitimate instructions rarely change at the last minute. Do not act on the email — call the title company on a verified number to confirm, and loop in your agent before sending any money.