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Got new wire instructions by email for closing — is it a scam?

Use the free tool — Closing Cost Check FL

What just happened

You got an email — maybe from what looks like your title company, lender, or agent — with new wire instructions for your down payment or closing funds. It may say the account changed, or that it's urgent. Stop before you send anything.

Why this is the classic scam

The FBI describes exactly this pattern in real estate closings: last-minute "changed instructions" emails are a common form of business email compromise fraud. Scammers watch for closings and send fake wiring instructions timed to arrive right before you're ready to send money.

• The email may look legitimate — matching logos, matching names, even a hijacked real account.
• The urgency ("send today or the closing is delayed") is part of the pressure.
• Once a wire is sent, it is very hard to get back.

What to do before you send anything

Verify wire instructions by phone — never by replying to the email.

• Call the title company at a number from your contract or its known website — not a number from the email you just received.
• Ask them to confirm the account details out loud, on that call.
• If anyone tells you the instructions "changed," treat that as a red flag and verify twice.
• Funds should go by wire or cashier's check, only per the closing agent's verified instructions.

Florida title agents must be licensed with the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) — you can ask for that information as part of your verification call.

What this tool can and can't do

This guide can explain the warning and the pattern. It cannot verify your specific wire instructions, your specific title company, or whether the email you received is real. That phone call is on you, every time, no exceptions.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Confirm everything with your closing agent or lender directly.

What to do next

Paste your Closing Disclosure or describe your closing — the price, loan, county, and whether you're buying or selling. The free tool reads your own numbers and explains each fee, who customarily pays it in Florida, what's negotiable, and what changed since your estimate. It will also remind you of this wire-verification step before you close. Nothing you paste is stored.

Closing Cost Check FL explains Florida closing costs and federal disclosure rules in plain language from official sources; it can be wrong, and it is not legal, financial or tax advice. Your contract and the closing agent's figures control. Nothing you paste is stored.