Before closing: verify the paperwork and the wire

Closing is a bad moment to rely on rushed email instructions. A fraudster may copy familiar names or enter an existing email conversation to redirect your down payment.

Before closing week, agree with your settlement professional on a trusted phone number and the method for confirming payment instructions. If you receive new bank details, an urgent request or a last-minute change, stop. Verify the recipient and account details in person or by calling the number you established independently—not a number in the new message. A familiar logo or email address is not enough.

Separately, review your Closing Disclosure against the latest Loan Estimate. For most covered mortgages, you must receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. Check the loan amount, rate, payment, fees and cash to close. Ask for an explanation of changes; do not sign documents you do not understand.

If you think a transfer went to a scammer, contact your bank or transfer provider immediately and ask about stopping or recalling it. Report the incident through the FBI’s IC3. Acting quickly matters, but recovering the money is not guaranteed. Keep messages and transfer records for your bank and investigators.