How should I safely verify wiring instructions before sending closing funds?
Call the closing attorney, title company, or settlement office using a phone number you already trust or obtained independently. Do not use a phone number that appears only in the email containing the wire instructions. Verbally confirm the recipient and bank information before sending funds.
Treat any message claiming that the instructions have changed as suspicious. Pause if an email presents revised bank information, a new link, an unfamiliar contact, or urgent pressure to act. Contact the closing office through the trusted number and verify what it requires.
Why do buyers receive wiring instructions through secure communication and verify them by phone before sending funds for closing?
Real estate transactions can attract wire-fraud and phishing attempts. Secure communication helps protect sensitive closing information, while a separate phone call helps confirm that the instructions truly came from the closing office. These are complementary safeguards: receiving instructions securely does not replace calling a trusted, independently verified number before sending funds.
How should I bring my cash to close, and how do I avoid wire fraud?
Ask the closing team which payment methods it accepts. Depending on the settlement agent's rules, it may direct you to send a wire or use a certified form of payment. Do not assume that a personal check or another payment method will be accepted.
If a wire is required, verify the instructions directly with the closing office at a trusted phone number. The Georgia homebuyer timeline can help you understand where final-funds coordination fits within the broader closing process.
What should I do if I receive closing documents and wire instructions by email?
Review the documents carefully and ask the mortgage team or closing attorney about anything unclear or unexpected. Do not send funds based only on an email. Independently call the closing office and confirm the instructions before acting.
Use the secure or encrypted method provided by the closing team when returning documents containing confidential information. If the email contains changed instructions, a new phone number, or unusual urgency, stop and verify through a contact method you already trust.
How can I safely send funds for a mortgage closing?
First, ask the closing attorney, title company, or settlement agent how funds must be delivered. If wiring is required, obtain the instructions through the closing office's secure process and confirm them by calling an independently verified number. Do not rely on an unsolicited call, a new email, or contact information contained only in that message.
After verification, follow the closing office's directions rather than substituting another payment method. If anything differs from what you previously received, pause and verify again before sending funds.
How should I safely handle wiring funds for closing?
Treat wiring instructions as highly sensitive. Keep bank information and private financial details out of unsecured email, and use the secure communication method supplied by the closing office. Confirm the instructions verbally through a trusted phone number before authorizing the wire.
Be especially cautious when a message says prior instructions were replaced, revised, or altered. Do not act on the change until the closing attorney or settlement office confirms it through a contact channel you independently trust.
How should I safely handle wiring instructions for an earnest money deposit or closing-related funds?
Use the same cautious process for an earnest money deposit and other closing-related funds. Call a known, independently verified number for the closing attorney, settlement agent, or appropriate real estate professional before sending money. Do not rely only on links or phone numbers in a new email.
Avoid sending bank information or other private financial details through unsecured email. If the request looks unusual, introduces different bank information, or creates pressure to act quickly, pause and report it to your trusted transaction contact.
Who should I contact to confirm wiring instructions before closing?
Contact the closing attorney's office directly. In some transactions, the paperwork may refer to this office as the title company or settlement office. If you are unsure which organization is handling the closing, ask the mortgage or real estate team to identify the correct office.
Place the call yourself using a phone number from a source you already trust or have independently verified. Do not rely on the contact information in an unsolicited call or the same email that delivered the wiring instructions.
Who should I contact to verify wiring instructions before closing?
Call the closing attorney, title company, or settlement office responsible for the transaction and verbally verify the instructions before sending funds. Use independently verified contact information rather than a number supplied only in a new message.
If the terminology in your paperwork is unclear, ask the mortgage or real estate team which office is responsible for closing and wire verification. Any unexpected change should lead to another direct confirmation before you act.
