By the Rampart Title editorial team · October 07, 2026
Wire fraud is the fastest-growing crime in real estate. Criminals hack or imitate the email accounts of title companies, real estate agents and lenders, watch a transaction quietly, and then send the buyer “updated” wiring instructions right before closing. The email looks real — same logo, same signature, sometimes the same thread — but the account number belongs to the thief. Once the money is wired, it is rarely recovered.
Rampart Title will never change wiring instructions by email
Our wiring instructions do not change during your transaction. If you ever receive an email or text that says our bank, account or routing number has changed, it is fraud. Do not reply to it and do not call any number in it.
Five steps that protect your money
- Verify by phone. Call your escrow officer at a number from our website, your purchase contract or a business card you received in person.
- Read the instructions back. Confirm the bank name, routing number and the last four digits of the account number out loud.
- Watch for pressure. Urgency, last-minute changes, “the auditors are reviewing our account” or requests to keep a wire secret are red flags.
- Confirm receipt. Call us after you send the wire so we can confirm the funds arrived.
- Protect your email. Use a strong password and two-factor authentication, and avoid sending financial details over public Wi-Fi.
Sellers are targets too
Fraudsters also try to redirect seller proceeds by emailing the title company “new” payout instructions. We verify any change to disbursement instructions by calling the seller at a number already in our file.
If you think you have been targeted
Call your bank immediately and ask them to recall the wire — the first hours matter. Then call us at (435) 359-1115, and file a report with the FBI at ic3.gov. Keep the emails; investigators will need them.
