How to Verify a Title Company Before Wiring Funds

Every real estate closing involves a wire transfer — and every wire transfer is a potential target. The good news is that a small amount of due diligence before sending funds dramatically reduces your risk.

The Verification Checklist

1. Confirm the title company independently

Before wiring any funds, look up the title company's phone number directly — do not use any number provided in the wire instructions email. Call to confirm:

If anything doesn't match, stop and call your real estate agent and lender immediately.

2. Check the email headers

Wire fraud often comes from lookalike domains (e.g., titleco-closing.com instead of titlecoclosing.com). Before trusting any email with wiring instructions, inspect the sender's full email address carefully — not just the display name.

3. Never wire from instructions sent via email alone

Legitimate title companies and secure closing platforms never rely solely on email to deliver wiring instructions. If you're receiving routing and account numbers via an unsecured email, ask why there isn't a secure portal for delivery.

4. Confirm any changes to instructions immediately

If you receive an email saying wiring instructions have "changed," treat it as a red flag. Fraudulent instruction changes are the most common attack vector. Call to verify before doing anything.

5. Use a verified closing platform

Platforms like Close Safely deliver wiring instructions through authenticated, encrypted channels — removing email from the equation entirely. When instructions only appear after identity verification, spoofed emails have nothing to spoof.

If You've Already Wired Funds

If you suspect fraud, act immediately:

1. Call your bank's fraud line and request a wire recall

2. File a complaint with the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov

3. Contact your real estate agent, title company, and lender

Speed matters — recalls are most likely to succeed within the first hour.