The scam, in one paragraph
Attackers compromise or convincingly spoof an email account somewhere in your transaction — an agent's, a lender's, sometimes a party's own. They watch quietly, learn the deal's rhythm and names, and at the perfect moment send wiring instructions (or a change to them) that look exactly like the real thing. The money goes to the criminal's account, gets layered out within hours, and recovery windows are brutally short. Every participant in a closing is a target — especially buyers in the final week.
Our controls
- Wire instructions are delivered through secure channels — not as casual email attachments
- NO changes to wire instructions are ever accepted or communicated by email alone
- Callback verification on independently-held phone numbers before funds move on the strength of any instruction
- Multi-factor authentication and role-based access on our systems; encrypted document handling
- Segregated escrow trust accounts with three-way reconciliation discipline and positive-pay style bank controls
- Staff trained on social-engineering patterns, with authority to slow any transfer that smells wrong
- Fraud warnings on every form, email footer, and closing package we send
Your three rules as a consumer
- Rule 1 — Verify by voice: before wiring, call the title company at a number you found independently (our site, your commitment — never the email itself) and confirm the instructions verbatim.
- Rule 2 — Treat 'updated instructions' as fraud until proven otherwise: legitimate title companies do not casually change bank details mid-transaction. Ours don't change.
- Rule 3 — Move fast if something feels wrong: if you wired to instructions you now doubt, call your bank's fraud line and us immediately. The first hours decide recovery odds.