WE WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSS OF MONIES WHEN THE WIRING PROCEDURES PROVIDED BY OUR CLOSING OFFICERS ARE NOT FOLLOWED.

WE WILL NEVER CHANGE THE ACCOUNT NUMBER ON OUR WIRING INSTRUCTIONS. IF YOU RECEIVE AN EMAIL STATING OTHERWISE, DO NOT RESPOND TO THE SENDER, REGARDLESS OF WHO THAT SENDER PURPORTS TO BE, BUT CONTACT BARNES WALKER IMMEDIATELY AT 941-778-7721.

FOR YOUR SAFETY, PLEASE CALL US OR ASK YOUR BANK TO CALL US BEFORE SENDING YOUR FUNDS VIA WIRE TRANSFER.

What is Wire Fraud?

After navigating the extensive and sometimes frustrating process of purchasing a home, which involves finding a property, negotiating a price, obtaining mortgage approval, dealing with title searches and inspections, you are finally on the verge of closing the deal.

However, in a sudden turn of events, the funds earmarked for your down payment vanish. Your dream of securing the desired home seems to evaporate along with the missing money. This scenario may sound like a news headline, something you never thought could happen to you. Yet, you could become a victim of mortgage wire fraud.

Wire Fraud: An Age-Old Scam

Wire fraud can be dated as far back as the 1800s and has evolved into a sophisticated crime. Criminals, often not technologically sophisticated themselves, leverage tools such as phishing kits available on the internet. Since 2013, these fraudsters have stolen over $12 billion through mortgage wire fraud, a significant concern for federal authorities.

The mechanics of contemporary wire fraud involve perpetrators infiltrating the email accounts of real estate professionals using malware. Closer to the closing date, victims receive seemingly legitimate emails, often appearing to be from their realtor or attorney. These emails, however, contain fraudulent instructions, directing victims to transfer the down payment to a specified bank account—purportedly belonging to the seller. In reality, the account is controlled by the criminal, frequently located overseas beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement.

Protecting Yourself from Wire Fraud

To safeguard against wire fraud, vigilance is crucial. Be alert to potential red flags, such as unfamiliar email addresses or invalid account names. Verify the legitimacy of any suspicious messages by contacting known phone numbers, and voice verify emails, especially those requesting actions like logging into unfamiliar websites, transferring money, providing financial information, or e-signing documents.

If you suspect or know you are the victim of Wire Fraud

Immediately call your bank from which you sent your wire and ask for the wire fraud department, explaining that you are a victim of wire fraud and the amount of the wire. Ask them to stop the wire.
If your bank does not do so, call the bank to which the scammer convinced you to send your wire, and tell them you are a victim of wire fraud. (If a bank’s name is not on the scammer’s wiring instructions, call us or your bank, and tell us or them what the ABA number is on the scammer’s instructions, so we or they can look up the bank’s name.) Ask the scammer’s bank to freeze the scammer’s account in at least the amount of your wire.
File a complaint with the FBI’s IC3 website (the U.S. Internet Crime Complaint Center) at https://www.ic3.gov/complaint/…. In the description box, type:
If you are local, also call the FBI’s Tampa field office at 813-253-1000 and report the wire fraud. Otherwise, use this link to find your local FBI field office: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us….
If you are local, call the U.S. Secret Service’s Tampa field office at 813-228-2636 and report the wire fraud. Otherwise, use this link to find your local Secret Service field office: https://www.secretservice.gov/…. Like the FBI, they investigate financial crime.
I have been the victim of an email compromise which fraudulently induced me to wire monies to a scammer. PLEASE DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO STOP THE WIRE.

Call your local police department, and file a report just for the record.