Wire Fraud and Your Home Purchase: What You Want to Know

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:00:53 GMT

There’s a lot to keep track of when you’re buying a home. From your application and appraisal to underwriting and closing, you’re exchanging information with your loan officer, real estate agent, title company, and other professionals along the way. That activity can also create opportunities for scammers.

Cybercriminals may impersonate someone involved in your home purchase to steal personal information or redirect money intended for closing. These messages can look legitimate, arrive at just the right time, and create enough urgency to make you feel like you need to act quickly.

Knowing how these scams work can help you recognize the warning signs and protect your money throughout your homebuying journey.

Why Wire Fraud Is a Risk During Closing

As closing approaches, you may need to transfer a significant amount of money for your down payment, closing costs, or other expenses. Scammers know this and may try to insert themselves into the process.

One common tactic involves an email that appears to come from your title company, lender, real estate agent, or another trusted contact. The message may claim that your original wiring instructions have changed and direct you to send your money to a new account. The email might use a recognizable logo, familiar names, or details that make the request seem legitimate.

If you receive a message like this, stop before sending anything. Wire transfers can happen quickly, and recovering money sent to a fraudulent account can be difficult.

Verify Before You Send

When it comes to wiring money during a real estate transaction, verification is worth the extra few minutes.

Before transferring funds, call your title company or closing agent and confirm the account information verbally. Use a phone number you have already verified through a trusted source. Avoid using contact information included in an unexpected email about wiring funds. A fraudulent message can contain a fraudulent phone number, too.

If you’re told that previously provided wiring instructions have changed, confirm the new information independently before taking action.

Take a Closer Look at Unexpected Emails

A fraudulent email doesn’t always look suspicious at first glance. Scammers can copy logos, signatures, formatting, and other details to make a message appear authentic.

Pay attention to small inconsistencies. An email address with an extra letter, unusual wording, an unexpected attachment, or a request to provide sensitive information through a link can all be warning signs.

Urgency is another reason to be cautious. A message that pressures you to send money immediately or warns that your closing could be delayed unless you act should be independently verified. Rather than replying to the email, contact your loan officer or another trusted professional involved in your transaction using contact information you already know.

Be Smart About Sharing Personal Information

Your mortgage process involves financial documents and personal information, so how you share those materials matters. Whenever possible, use your lender’s secure portal to upload sensitive documents instead of sending them through standard email. Strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication can also add another layer of protection to your online accounts. It’s also smart to avoid accessing financial accounts or sensitive mortgage information while connected to public Wi-Fi.

Staying Secure With Luminate Bank

Protecting your personal information is an important part of your mortgage experience.

Luminate Bank uses secure technology and established procedures designed to safeguard personal information throughout the loan process. Secure document-sharing tools, encrypted systems, identity verification procedures, and employee cybersecurity training all contribute to that effort.

You also have a resource when something doesn’t look right. If you receive a questionable message or request related to your mortgage, reaching out directly can help you determine what’s legitimate before you take action.

A Question Is Better Than a Risk

You’re not expected to recognize every sophisticated scam that lands in your inbox. If a request involving money, personal information, passwords, or wiring instructions seems unusual, contact Alex Aerts directly before responding or sending anything.

Taking a few minutes to verify a request can make a meaningful difference when your financial information and closing funds are involved.

Before Sending Closing Funds

Keep these safeguards in mind as you prepare for closing:

Confirm wiring instructions directly by phone
Use a phone number you already know and trust
Independently verify any changes to wiring instructions
Share sensitive documents through secure portals when available
Be cautious with unexpected links and attachments
Watch for emails that pressure you to act immediately
Contact your loan officer whenever a request seems unusual

Frequently Asked Questions About Wire Fraud

How do wire fraud scams target homebuyers?

Home purchases involve large financial transactions and communication among multiple people. Criminals may use that activity to impersonate someone involved in the transaction and attempt to redirect funds or obtain sensitive information.

Is it safe to follow wiring instructions sent by email?

Don’t rely on an email alone. Before sending money, independently confirm the wiring instructions with your title company or closing agent using a phone number you trust.

What should you do if you receive new wiring instructions?

Stop and verify the change. Contact your title company or closing agent directly using previously confirmed contact information before sending funds to a different account.

How should you send financial documents during the mortgage process?

Use your lender’s secure document portal whenever possible for documents containing personal or financial information. Contact your loan officer if you’re unsure how or where to securely submit something.

How can you tell whether a mortgage-related email is fraudulent?

Watch for changes in the sender’s email address, unusual language, unexpected attachments or links, requests for sensitive information, and pressure to act quickly. Even if everything looks normal, independently verify unexpected requests involving money.

What should you do after sending money to the wrong account?

Contact your bank immediately and ask about initiating a wire recall. Then contact your loan officer and title company as soon as possible. Quick action may improve the chance of stopping or recovering the funds.

Protect Your Money All the Way to Closing

A secure homebuying experience isn’t about being suspicious of every message. It’s about knowing when to slow down and verify.

Before sending funds or sharing sensitive information, take a moment to make sure the request came from the right person and the details are correct.

If there’s ever a question, contact Alex Aerts directly. A quick conversation can give you clarity and help you keep your home purchase moving forward with confidence.

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