Real estate wire fraud: كيف يعمل وعلامات التحذير وماذا تفعل
Payment fraud · alto
In the US, closing funds are usually wired to a title or escrow company. The criminal hacks or monitors the email of the agent, attorney or title company and knows exactly when the buyer will pay.
Shortly before closing, the buyer receives a legitimate-looking email with "updated wiring instructions". The money goes to an account controlled by the scammer and is quickly moved on.
In Brazil, the same logic appears in deposits paid via Pix or bank transfer to fake owners or intermediaries, listings for properties that do not exist, or fake emails from agencies and notary offices.
Sinais / Signs
- Last-minute change to wiring instructions by email or text
- Urgency or a threat of losing the property if you do not pay today
- Destination account under an individual or a company other than the title/escrow firm
- Sender domain slightly different from usual
- Being asked not to call and to handle everything by email
Prevenção / Prevention
- Agree at the start that wiring instructions never change by email
- Before wiring, call the title company using a number from its official site or contract
- Confirm receipt right after the transfer
- In Brazil, check the property registry record and seller identity before paying any deposit
- Avoid sending financial details over unencrypted email
O que fazer / What to do
- Call your bank immediately and request a wire recall
- File with IC3 right away; speed is decisive
- Notify the agent, title company and attorney by phone
- In Brazil, contact your bank (including the Pix MED mechanism if Pix was used) and file a police report
FAQ
Would a title company really change accounts at the last minute?
It is very rare. Treat any change as suspect until confirmed by phone with an independently sourced number.
Can a wire be reversed?
Sometimes, if the bank acts before money leaves the receiving account. That is why every hour counts.
FBI IC3 - Internet Crime Complaint Center · FTC - ReportFraud · Consumidor.gov.br · Febraban / BC - MED (via Finsiders)