Mortgage Closing Wire Fraud: How to Verify Wiring Instructions

Before wiring money for a home purchase, verify the payment instructions through a trusted contact—not just the message that delivered them. The FBI identifies fake title-company instructions for a homebuyer's down payment as an example of business email compromise. A convincing message can send your closing funds to someone other than the intended recipient.

Whether your purchase is in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, or Colorado, plan how you will verify the recipient before payment day. This guide covers fraud-prevention steps, not state-specific settlement requirements. Your bank and closing professional should explain the payment process for your actual transaction.

What Is Mortgage Closing Wire Fraud?

The fraud involves an impostor diverting money intended for a legitimate real estate transaction. Florida's Attorney General describes escrow-wire fraud in which someone poses as a title or escrow company representative and sends a homebuyer fraudulent transfer instructions. The customer believes the payment is going toward the purchase, but the account belongs to the scammer.

Do not rely on a familiar logo, a transaction detail, or an email conversation alone. The FBI explains that criminals may imitate email addresses and websites or gain access to legitimate correspondence. A small spelling difference can be a warning sign, but an apparently familiar conversation is not proof that a payment request is genuine.

How Should You Verify Wiring Instructions?

Set up a trusted contact before you need to transfer funds. Confirm who handles your closing and keep a phone number obtained independently or through documents you already verified. The FBI recommends verifying payment requests in person when possible or by calling the person making the request; it also advises looking up contact information independently rather than using a number supplied by a potential scammer.

Using that trusted contact, confirm who should receive the funds and the account details for your transaction. Florida's consumer alert recommends checking original lender documents, calling the listed contacts to validate instructions, and confirming the escrow account number with the bank or lender before sending money. Do not treat a new document attached to a suspicious message as an already verified original.

What If the Account or Payment Instructions Change?

A change is a reason to stop and verify—not a reason to rush. The FBI specifically recommends verifying changes in account numbers or payment procedures and being especially wary of pressure to act quickly. Contact your verified closing professional using the number you already trust, and confirm the change before authorizing payment.

For example, if a message arrives shortly before closing with a replacement account and an urgent deadline, do not reply to that message to validate itself. Call through the established channel instead. This is a hypothetical warning scenario, not a report of a Skyline customer's experience.

Do Not Let an Email or Text Bypass Your Verification Plan

The FBI advises against clicking unsolicited email or text links that ask you to update or verify account information. It also recommends caution with attachments and using two-factor or multifactor authentication on accounts that support it. Confirm the document-submission or payment channel with your actual closing team rather than entering information through an unfamiliar link.

These safeguards do not establish that every message is safe or guarantee that fraud cannot occur. Keep the payment-verification step separate from merely recognizing the sender's name.

What Should You Do If You Already Sent the Money?

Contact your financial institution immediately. The FBI says to request that it contact the financial institution where the transfer was sent. Explain that you suspect fraud and ask what steps are available to stop or recall the payment. Tell your verified closing professional what happened so the transaction's payment status can be checked; do not send a second transfer merely because another message demands one.

Report the suspected internet-enabled fraud through the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, using the official IC3 website. The FBI directs business email compromise reports there, and IC3 explains that it cannot guarantee a response to every complaint. Reporting is not a promise that funds will be recovered, and it does not replace immediate contact with your bank.

Be cautious about follow-up recovery offers. IC3 warns that it does not work with private law firms or cryptocurrency services to recover lost funds and will not directly contact you asking for information or money. Go directly to the official reporting site rather than following a link from someone claiming to represent it.

A Checklist Before Sending Closing Funds

• ▸Confirm who handles the closing and save a verified contact number before payment day.
• ▸Review the recipient and account details through that trusted contact before authorizing a transfer.
• ▸Independently verify any changed account number or payment procedure.
• ▸Do not rely on urgency, a familiar name, or a reply to the same message as proof of authenticity.
• ▸Ask your bank and closing professional what to do if instructions cannot be confirmed or fraud is suspected.

General education disclosure: This article is not individualized banking, legal, cybersecurity, or lending advice, a commitment to lend, or a guarantee of fraud prevention or recovery. Follow your verified bank's and closing professional's instructions for your transaction. No recovery deadline, insurance coverage, or payment method is promised here.

Sources

Official sources opened and read October 20, 2026: FBI: Business Email Compromise; FBI: Internet Crime Complaint Center; and Florida Attorney General: Be Aware of Real Estate Scams. The Florida alert was released June 1, 2021. The access date does not mean these sources were published or updated today. No historical loss statistics or claims about current housing-market conditions are used.