Frontdoor Closing Services

Wire safety

Wire fraud in real estate works one way: someone impersonates the escrow company and sends new wiring instructions. The defense is one phone call. Here's exactly what to do.

Confirm by phone
949.409.4005

  1. Get the instructions from us, not from an email

    We don't publish wire instructions and we don't send them in an open email. When it's time to wire, call the office and we'll tell you how to get them.

  2. Call the office and read them back

    Before you send anything, call 949.409.4005, the number on this site, and confirm the bank name, the account name and the account number with a person here. Use the number you already have for us, never one from the email you're checking.

  3. Keep the first set

    Our instructions don't change during your escrow. The instructions you verified for your deposit are the instructions for your closing funds. If anything arrives that says otherwise, it isn't from us.

  4. Wire only

    The trust account can't accept ACH or online transfers; they bounce, and the money can take days to come back. Ask your bank for a wire.

  5. Tell us it's on its way

    Once the wire is sent, text or email the office so we can watch for it and confirm receipt.

Important notice

  • Please ensure that your payment is sent by wire transfer only.
  • ACH or online transfers cannot be accepted into escrow trust accounts. If an ACH is sent it will be automatically rejected, and the funds may take several days to return to your account.
  • To avoid delays, please send a wire transfer exclusively when submitting funds to escrow.
  • Once your wire has been sent, please text or email our office so we can confirm receipt and monitor the incoming funds.

What the fraud looks like

Fraudsters watch the email of anyone in a transaction: agents, lenders, title, escrow, the buyer. When they see a closing coming, they send the buyer an email that looks like ours, with our logo and a real employee's name, saying the wiring instructions have changed or rushing them to send funds today. The attachment carries the fraudster's account. Once a wire lands there it is very hard to get back.

That's why we ask for the deposit by wire at the very start: you verify the instructions once, by phone, with time to spare, and you keep that set for closing. A last-minute change, a new bank, a different account name, or pressure to send now are the signs. Stop and call.

This is general information from our office, not legal advice. Wire fraud changes; take care with every wire, every time.