Florida closing wire instructions need a second-channel check

Closing week already has enough moving parts. Wire instructions should get one extra check before money leaves the bank.

The CFPB warns that scammers can send last-minute messages that look like they came from a real estate agent, lender, title company, or settlement contact. The trick is usually simple: change the wiring instructions and make the buyer feel rushed.

The safer habit is to confirm the instructions through a second channel. Use a phone number you already know, one from the signed closing packet, or one you looked up before the new message arrived. Do not rely only on the number inside a last-minute email. Confirm the account name, account number, amount, and timing with the closing contact.

Keep a closing-money file with the title company name, closing officer, trusted phone number, lender contact, wire instructions, and bank receipt. If any message changes the account, amount, deadline, or contact person, pause and call.

If money has already been sent to the wrong place, move quickly. Contact the bank or wire-transfer company, the title or closing office, and the proper reporting channels. Florida’s CFO consumer page points people toward federal and state fraud-reporting paths. The main idea is not panic. It is speed, records, and direct contact with the people who can help trace the payment.