Protect home-sale proceeds from fraudulent payment instructions

Treat a change in payment details as a verification event

Independently verify any unexpected change in payment or disbursement instructions during your home sale. Use a telephone number or secure process established through a trusted source, rather than contact information inside the change request. A familiar name, signature or email conversation does not establish that the account details are genuine.

The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center explains that business email compromise can involve compromised legitimate accounts and unauthorized fund transfers. Its guidance recommends secondary channels to verify account-information changes. This applies to the decision you face, not to a claim that every unusual message is fraudulent.

Ask your settlement provider early how instructions will be delivered and verified. Store the verified contact information securely. If instructions later conflict with that process, stop and ask the provider through the known channel before authorizing anything.

Establish a trusted process before pressure builds

Before the final week, ask who is authorized to discuss disbursement and how you can reach that person independently. Confirm what changes are possible, what documentation they require and whether the provider uses a secure portal. Do not assume an emailed attachment is safe because it looks professional.

Avoid discussing full account details in a broadly shared timeline or forwarding them casually. Keep your email account secure and use available multifactor authentication. Review the sender’s full address rather than only the display name, while recognizing that a correctly spelled address alone cannot rule out a compromised account.

Pressure is a reason to verify carefully. A message insisting that a new account must be used immediately can exploit a real closing deadline. Call through the trusted channel even if the request appears to come from someone who knows details about the sale.

Use a practical response checklist

Pause the requested change until verified independently.
Use a previously confirmed number or secure provider process.
Ask the authorized professional to confirm the change and its reason.
Do not call a number supplied only in the suspicious message.
Do not send verification codes or login credentials to a requester.
Save the message and relevant details securely if concern remains.
Contact your bank promptly if a transfer may already be affected.
Use official fraud reporting channels when appropriate.

This is a behavioral checklist, not a technical guarantee. The correct response can depend on whether funds are still at your bank, have been sent or have been disbursed by another institution. Let the bank and settlement professional guide the immediate operational steps.

Do not test suspicious instructions by sending a small amount. The fact that an account can receive money does not establish that it belongs to the intended recipient.

If a transfer may be fraudulent

Contact the originating financial institution as soon as you recognize the issue and ask about recall or reversal procedures. FBI IC3 guidance emphasizes prompt bank contact and filing a detailed complaint. Do not wait for an unverified sender to explain the change or promise that funds will return.

Contact the verified settlement professional as well, and preserve the original messages, transaction details and timeline. Provide sensitive information through the bank’s or official reporting system’s secure process, not this site. We do not receive fraud reports or recover funds.

No recovery is guaranteed. Avoid anyone who promises certain recovery in exchange for another payment or account access. Follow the bank’s and relevant authorities’ instructions. If the event creates a dispute about contractual performance or responsibility, consult a local attorney. Your immediate task is to alert the institutions capable of taking action, while maintaining a clear record of what occurred.

Separate verification from replying

Replying to a message to ask “is this real?” uses the same channel that may already be compromised. Verification should reach the intended professional through an independently established route. Make that distinction part of your household plan so another owner does not approve a change while you are investigating it.

If you cannot reach the authorized person, tell the settlement team through its trusted process that the instruction remains unverified. Ask how to preserve the timetable safely rather than authorizing a questionable change to avoid inconvenience. Keep records of whom you reached and what was confirmed.

After any suspicious incident, review access to the affected email or financial accounts with the appropriate provider. Follow its security instructions and preserve evidence. Do not post private messages or bank details publicly in an attempt to get informal verification. This website cannot authenticate the request or recover the money.

FAQ

Is checking the sender address enough?

No. It is one useful observation, but legitimate accounts can be compromised. Verify account changes through an independent trusted channel.

Can this site verify a bank account?

No. It has no banking integration, account-verification service or recovery function. Contact your bank and verified settlement provider.

Should I report an actual loss here?

No. Contact the originating bank promptly and use the official IC3 reporting guidance. Do not put private account information in a public website message.

Can a payment be recovered?

That depends on circumstances and institutional action. Prompt reporting matters, but this guide cannot promise reversal or reimbursement.

Continue your planning

Sources and scope

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: business email compromise

Source pages checked October 29, 2026. This is the site’s factual research date, not a claim of professional review. Examples are illustrative. Local obligations and individualized legal or tax questions require qualified advice.