Closing Guides
Wire Fraud at Closing: How Florida Buyers Get Scammed
Direct answer
Closing wire fraud happens when a criminal emails fake banking instructions that look like they came from your title company, realtor, or lender. You should never send a closing wire from an email alone. Call Time to Close Title at a phone number you already have, confirm the bank name and account, then send the wire. If the instructions suddenly change, stop and call before you pay.
Key takeaways
- Title companies do not casually change wiring instructions by email the week of closing.
- Always verify wires with a known phone number, not a number inside a suspicious email.
- Last-minute 'new account' messages, urgency, and slight email-domain changes are the usual tells.
- If you already wired to a bad account, call your bank and the title company immediately.
- The callback takes two minutes. Recovering a stolen wire can take months and may fail.
How do Florida closing wire scams work?
The criminal watches a real transaction. They may compromise a realtor, lender, or buyer email account, then send a message that looks like it came from the title company. The email says the account changed, the closer is out, or the wire must go today. The account belongs to the thief.
The dollar amount is large, the timeline is short, and the buyer is already looking at what to bring to closing. That combination is why these scams succeed. They do not need to break into the title software. They need one rushed wire.
What are the red flags?
Any one of these is enough to stop and call. Do not reply to the email thread first.
- Wiring instructions that arrive as an unexpected 'update' or 'corrected account'
- A sense of panic: 'send now or we miss funding'
- An email domain that is off by one letter or uses a public Gmail address
- A phone number in the email that is not the number on our website
- Instructions to keep the change quiet or not to call the office
- A request to split the wire across more than one account
What is the callback rule?
Ask us for wiring instructions in writing, then call the Spring Hill office at 352-792-1214 or the toll-free line on our contact page. Use a number from the website, your realtor, or a prior closing packet. Do not use a number that appeared only in the email you are trying to verify.
Confirm the receiving bank name, city, routing number, and account number. If even one digit is different from what you were told on the phone, do not send the wire. Time to Close Title will never be offended by a callback. We expect it.
What if you already sent money to a bad account?
Call your bank's wire-fraud desk immediately and ask them to recall the wire. Then call us and, if the funds were already stolen, file a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. Speed matters. Once the money leaves a U.S. account, recovery is much harder.
Do not wait until the signing to mention it. A delayed closing is better than a lost down payment. We can help you document what happened and coordinate with the lender.
How does Time to Close Title handle wiring?
We give you instructions on our letterhead, we repeat them on the phone, and we watch for last-minute email changes on every file. If something looks off, we stop the file until the money is in the correct escrow account.
This is part of ordinary Florida closing services, not a special add-on. If you are a few days from signing, open the file or call before you send anything.
Frequently asked questions
Will a title company change wiring instructions by email?
Treat any last-minute change as false until you confirm it by calling a known office number. Many legitimate companies never change accounts mid-file.
Is a cashier's check safer than a wire?
It can reduce email-instruction risk, but only if the title company approved that method and the check is made payable correctly. Ask first. Large personal checks are not used.
Can I trust wiring instructions from my realtor?
Still call the title company. Realtor email accounts are a common target. The callback is to us, not only to the agent.
What information should I confirm on the phone?
Receiving bank name, routing number, account number, and the exact name on the account. Read the numbers out loud. Do not let the other person read them to you first.
Does wire fraud insurance cover a bad closing wire?
Sometimes a bank or cyber policy helps, and sometimes it does not. Do not rely on insurance. Use the callback.
Who do I call at Time to Close Title?
Call 352-792-1214 or 888-228-0555. Those numbers are also on https://www.timetoclosetitle.com/contact.