One of the most dangerous and common assumptions in real estate is that an email looks real so it must be real. Criminals have become expert at forging emails that appear to come from title companies, lenders, real estate agents, and attorneys. Wiring instructions sent by email should never be trusted without independent verification.
Email Can Be Spoofed
Email spoofing is a technique that makes an email appear to come from an address you recognize. The display name shows a trusted contact. The domain looks correct at a glance. But the message was actually sent from a compromised or look-alike account. A buyer receives an email that appears to come from their title officer with updated wiring instructions. The logo is correct. The signature matches. The transaction details are accurate. Everything about the email looks legitimate, but the bank account number belongs to a criminal.
Do Not Use the Phone Number in the Email
Even when an email looks real, you must not use any phone number listed in that email to verify the instructions. If the criminal controls the email, they also control what phone number appears. You could call the number and reach the criminal or an accomplice who confirms the fraudulent instructions. You must independently confirm the phone number by looking it up on the company's official website, using a previous billing statement, or calling a number you have used before and know to be correct.
How to Verify Safely
When you receive wiring instructions by email, the safest process is to call the title company or escrow officer at a phone number you already have. Read the wiring instructions back to them over the phone. Confirm that the bank name, account number, routing number, and beneficiary name are exactly correct. Do this at least 24 hours before you plan to send the funds so there is time to resolve any discrepancies.
Secure Portals Are Better Than Email
Many title companies and real estate professionals now use secure client portals to share wiring instructions. These portals require a login and encrypt the information in transit. Secure portals are significantly safer than email because criminals cannot intercept and alter the instructions as easily. If your title company offers a secure portal, use it. If they send instructions only by email, ask them to use a more secure method.
Trust Your Instincts
If something about the wiring instructions feels wrong, stop. If the account number looks different from what you expected. If the instructions arrived at an unusual time. If the email urges you to act quickly because of a deadline. These are all warning signs. Trust your instincts and verify before you send. It is always better to delay a closing by a day than to lose your entire down payment.
The rule is simple: never trust wiring instructions sent by email without independent phone verification. That one call is the most important step you can take to protect your funds.
