Confirm the process early
Before closing, ask how payment instructions will be delivered and who can confirm them. Save a phone number for a trusted closing contact from a source you have independently verified. Do this before an urgent payment request arrives.
A message can appear to come from someone involved in the transaction even when it does not. Treat a new account number, changed instructions, or pressure to act quickly as a reason to stop and verify.
Verify before sending funds
Call the trusted contact using the number you saved earlier. Do not use the phone number, link, or reply address in a message that asks you to send or redirect money. Confirm the payment method and recipient details through the process your closing team established.
Avoid emailing bank details or other sensitive information through an ordinary message. If you are unsure about any instruction, pause the transfer until you have spoken with a verified person.
If money may have gone to the wrong account
Contact your bank or wire provider immediately and ask what recovery steps are available. Then contact your verified closing representative. Prompt reporting may improve the chance of recovering funds, but no recovery is assured.
This guide is general education. Your bank and closing team can tell you which steps apply to your situation.
These guides are general education. Processes and documents vary by transaction and state. The terms of any issued policy control coverage. Ask your title or closing team about your documents, and take legal or tax questions to your own attorney or adviser.