How Do I Protect Myself From Wire Fraud When Buying or Selling?
By Jeff and Lane Morrell · October 2026
The Morrell Group | eXp Realty
Wire fraud is the biggest financial threat in real estate today, and it almost always starts with an email. Never trust wiring instructions that arrive by email, always confirm any instructions by phone using a number you already know is real, and remember that title companies almost never change wiring instructions mid-deal. If anything looks different, assume fraud until you prove otherwise.
How the scam works
Criminals hack or spoof an email thread, then send updated wiring instructions that redirect your closing funds to their account. It looks like your title company, your agent, or your lender, and it happens at the most stressful, busiest moment of the deal. Real estate wire fraud losses reached $446.1 million in a single year per the National Association of Realtors, and scammers now use AI-cloned voices and fake calls (our September 28, 2026 post).
The rules that protect you
First, call before you wire, using the number from the title company's website or your agent's business card, never the number in the email. Second, confirm every detail verbally with a person you already know is real. Third, if instructions change at any point, stop and verify.
Also true
No legitimate title company will rush you, and no legitimate company will refuse to verify by phone. Legitimate companies post fraud warnings on their closing paperwork, and ours is part of every transaction we handle in Colorado Springs. Our full wire fraud protection guide is worth a read before any closing.
We have watched clients get targeted, and the ones who got scammed were the ones who did not call first. We are one phone call away at 719-499-9394, and we would rather you delay a closing by an hour than lose a down payment in a minute. Call before you wire, every time.
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