The problem
Why this matters
Wire fraud doesn't always announce itself. Sometimes it looks like a routine email from your title company. Sometimes it looks like an urgent request from your agent. Here's how to tell the difference — before the money leaves your account.
Red Flags to Watch For
- Urgency and deadline pressure: Legitimate real estate professionals expect verification. Fraudsters create urgency to prevent it. Any communication that pressures you to wire before you can make a verification call is a red flag.
- 'Updated' wiring instructions close to closing: Wiring instructions almost never legitimately change in the final days of a transaction. Any update — no matter how well-explained — must be verified by phone before you act on it.
- Slightly different email domain: Compare the sender's email domain character by character: 'firstamericantitle.com' versus 'firstamerican-title.com'. The difference of a hyphen or extra word is all a fraudster needs.
- Request to bypass the title company: Any instruction to wire directly to a seller, attorney, or individual rather than through the title company's escrow account is a major red flag in most standard transactions.
- Wiring instructions in an email attachment: Professional title companies typically deliver instructions through secure portals or verified documents — not as PDF attachments in an unencrypted email.
- Unverifiable callback number in the email: If the phone number in the email connects you to someone who confirms the 'updated' instructions without you having looked up the number independently, that confirmation means nothing.
- Instructions that don't match the title company's website: Look up the title company on their official website. Their listed routing number and account should match what you were sent. Any discrepancy is a fraud signal.
Red flags specific to home closings
- An email claiming to have 'updated' wiring instructions in the days before closing
- Wiring instructions sent from a Gmail or Yahoo address instead of the title company domain
- Urgent pressure to wire before you can call to verify
Remove the Risk Before the Red Flags Appear
Garded delivers wiring instructions through an encrypted link — email interception doesn't get a chance. Free to start.
Get started free No credit card required · Set up in minutesCommon questions
What if the email looks completely authentic?
Fraudulent emails are designed to look authentic. The email appearance tells you nothing — only independent verification of the payment details tells you whether they're legitimate.
What should I do if I suspect fraud but I'm not sure?
Stop. Call the party you received the instructions from at a number you found independently — not the number in the email. Ask them to confirm the details. If they can't or won't, treat it as fraud.
Is it rude to ask for verbal verification?
No. Every professional in the real estate industry should expect this, and any professional who discourages you from verifying is a red flag in themselves.