Wire fraud, and how not to become a victim of it.

How the fraud actually works

Criminals monitor email accounts belonging to buyers, agents, lenders or title companies, and wait. When they see a closing approaching, they send an email that appears to come from the title company, with new wiring instructions. The email is well written, correctly branded, and references real details of your transaction, because they have been reading the thread.

The buyer wires their entire down payment to the criminal’s account. By the time anyone notices, the money has moved offshore. Recovery is rare.

What we do

• We do not send wiring instructions by email
• We verify any change to disbursement details by phone, using a number we already hold — never one supplied in the request
• Escrow funds are held in dedicated accounts, reconciled regularly
• Our systems and access controls follow the ALTA Best Practices framework

What you should do

• Call before you wire. Every time, even if the instructions look identical to ones you already have.
• Use a known number. Not one from the email you are checking.
• Be suspicious of urgency. Pressure to send funds immediately is a tactic, not a coincidence.
• Confirm receipt. Call us after sending to verify the funds landed.

If you think you have been defrauded

Act within hours, not days. Call your bank and ask for a wire recall immediately. Call us. Then report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Wires have occasionally been recovered when reported within 24 to 72 hours.