← Level 9: Escrow Without Fear·The Bold Buyer School

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Verify by phone. Every time.

The single most important page on this site. Read it once, then send it to every person you know who is about to close on a house.

The iron rule

“Never wire money based on emailed instructions. Verify by phone, at a number YOU looked up.”

1

Stop before you send anything.

Any change to wiring instructions, especially one that feels urgent, is a red flag by itself, even if the email looks completely real, logo and all.

2

Find the phone number yourself.

Use the number on the title or escrow company's official website that you typed into your own browser, or a business card handed to you in person early in the deal. Never the number printed inside the email with the new instructions.

3

Call and verify by a real human voice.

Read the account and routing numbers back to the person on the phone before you send a single dollar. A confirmed match, by voice, is the only real verification.

4

Do this every single time, no exceptions.

Even if you've spoken to this person many times before, even if you feel embarrassed to "waste their time." It is never a waste. It is five minutes standing between your down payment and a stranger's account.

5

Confirm again after you send it.

Call the title or escrow company back to confirm the wire was received and matched to your file. Don't assume silence means success.

Red flags

  • An "urgent" email asking you to wire immediately, especially close to closing
  • Wiring instructions that changed from what you were told earlier
  • A phone number provided inside the same email as the new instructions
  • An email address that looks almost right but is spelled slightly differently
  • Pressure or guilt about "wasting time" if you ask to verify by phone
  • A request to keep the change quiet or act fast without telling your agent

If you already wired money and suspect fraud

  1. Call your bank immediately and ask them to issue a wire recall or fraud hold. Speed matters enormously - in 2024, funds reported quickly were frozen or recovered about two-thirds of the time.
  2. Report it at IC3.gov, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, right away.
  3. Call your title or escrow company and your agent to alert them and confirm what actually happened to your funds.

Send this to every person you know who is about to buy a house. This one habit, verify by phone at a number you looked up yourself, costs five minutes and can save an entire down payment.

This tool is general education only, not legal, financial, insurance, or tax advice. Figures shown are typical ranges, not a quote - always confirm exact costs with your own agent, lender, escrow officer, and licensed professionals. Costs vary by state, lender, and property.