Wire fraud is one of the most serious financial risks in a real estate transaction. Criminals may impersonate a title company, real estate agent, lender, or attorney to trick a buyer or seller into sending closing funds to a fraudulent bank account.

A fraudulent message can look convincing, especially when it arrives shortly before closing and appears to reference your actual property transaction.

Whether you're buying a home in The Villages, selling property in Leesburg, or closing on commercial real estate elsewhere in Florida, understanding real estate wire fraud can help protect your money.

What Is Real Estate Wire Fraud?

Real estate wire fraud occurs when a criminal deceives someone involved in a property transaction into transferring funds to an account controlled by the criminal.

These schemes frequently involve business email compromise (BEC), email impersonation, or fraudulent changes to legitimate payment instructions.

Criminals may gain access to an email account, monitor transaction communications, or create an email address that closely resembles one belonging to a trusted real estate professional.

The fraudster may then send what appears to be an ordinary closing update, directing the buyer to wire funds to a different account.

Why Real Estate Wire Fraud Remains a Serious Threat

According to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report, Americans reported nearly $21 billion in losses across internet crime categories during 2025. Business email compromise remains a significant source of financial losses, and fraudulent payment instructions are one way criminals target real estate transactions.

The financial consequences can be severe because a real estate closing often involves large deposits, down payments, or sale proceeds. Recovering money sent to a fraudulent account can be difficult and is never guaranteed.

Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center Annual Reports .

How a Real Estate Wire Fraud Scam Works

Seven Ways to Protect Your Closing Funds

1. Confirm the title company's contact information early. Before closing, save a verified phone number for your settlement professional. Obtain it from a trusted source rather than from an unexpected email.
2. Verify all wire instructions by telephone. Independently call your settlement company and confirm the complete receiving account details before initiating the transfer.
3. Treat changes to bank instructions as a major warning sign. Unexpected new account numbers, revised recipients, or last-minute payment requests should trigger additional verification.
4. Inspect email addresses carefully. Fraudulent messages may contain subtle spelling changes, unfamiliar domains, or altered reply-to addresses.
5. Don't trust urgency as proof of legitimacy. A message claiming your closing will fail unless you wire money immediately may be an attempt to prevent careful verification.
6. Avoid sending sensitive banking information by ordinary email. Use the communication and document-delivery methods approved by your settlement company.
7. Confirm receipt through a verified contact. After sending funds, independently contact the settlement office to confirm whether the transfer has arrived.

Warning Signs of a Fraudulent Wire Transfer Request

How Purvis & Company Title Helps Coordinate Secure Closings

Purvis & Company Title provides Florida title insurance, escrow, and settlement services for residential and qualifying commercial transactions.

Our team encourages buyers, sellers, real estate agents, and lenders to verify all payment instructions before transferring closing funds.

If you receive a suspicious message that appears to involve your transaction, contact our office through a trusted, independently confirmed communication channel before taking action.

Learn more about our buyer and seller closing services or explore our commercial title services .

Real Estate Wire Fraud: Frequently Asked Questions