How to Safely Share Wiring Instructions for VA Loan Closings

The problem

Why this matters

If you're a real estate agent, title company, or closing attorney, you share wiring instructions regularly. The way you share them determines whether your clients' closing funds are protected — or exposed.

Email vs. Secure Channel for Wiring Instructions

Email delivery

Instructions travel in plain text through multiple servers
Stored indefinitely in both parties' inboxes
Vulnerable to interception and spoofing attacks
Forwarded to other parties without your control
No notification if instructions were accessed by an unauthorized party
No way to revoke or update without sending another email

Garded secure link

Instructions encrypted with AES-256 — unreadable if intercepted
Accessible only through the specific encrypted link you send
Link is temporary and revocable at any time
Access log shows exactly when the link was opened
Recipient verification before instructions are displayed
Update or revoke without another email chain

The Standard Practice Is the Problem

Emailing wiring instructions is standard practice in real estate. It's also the primary vector for the industry's most costly fraud. The two facts are directly related.

The reason email became the default is convenience — it's fast, familiar, and works without any special setup. The reason wire fraud is so common is exactly the same: it's convenient for fraudsters, who know that most transactions follow the same email-based pattern and that most buyers don't verify independently.

Changing this pattern requires only one thing: using a secure channel to deliver wiring instructions instead of email. The buyer experience doesn't change. The fraud surface disappears.

Verification steps for va loan closings

VA loan closing costs must be wired through the title company — the lender never receives closing cost funds directly
Confirm the title company's identity independently — VA fraud often involves fake title companies
Your VA loan officer should be able to verbally confirm all wire destinations before you initiate

Your Clients Deserve Better Than an Email With Account Numbers

Use Garded for every set of wiring instructions, on every transaction. Free to start.

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Common questions

Can I use Garded if my title company doesn't use it?

Yes. You can deliver verified wiring instructions through Garded even if the title company sends them to you via their standard process — you share the link rather than forwarding their email.

What if the buyer isn't tech-savvy?

A Garded link opens in any browser. There's no app to download and no account to create. It's simpler than most things buyers already navigate online.

Does using Garded create any legal obligations?

Using a secure channel for wiring instructions demonstrates a professional standard of care — which is generally viewed favorably in any dispute about wire fraud liability.