Wire Fraud Protection
Protecting Your Funds From Wire Fraud
Real estate transactions move large sums of money — which makes them a favorite target of criminals. Here is how wire fraud works, the steps Select Title Company takes to protect every closing, and why we use CertifID to send, receive and confirm wire information.
The Threat
What Wire Fraud Is — and Why Closings Are Targeted
Wire fraud in real estate usually starts with a compromised email account. A hacker monitors the transaction, then — days before closing — sends an email that looks exactly like it came from your agent, lender, or title company. It includes new or corrected wiring instructions, often with an urgent reason to act quickly.
The victim wires their life savings to the criminal's account. Once a wire is sent, it is typically gone within minutes, scattered across accounts that are difficult to trace. Recovering those funds is rare, which is why prevention — verifying before you wire — is the only reliable protection.
These schemes are sophisticated. Fraudsters copy real logos, real signatures, and real email formats. A trained eye cannot always tell the difference. That is why Select Title Company has built verification into every step of our process, powered by CertifID.
Warning Signs to Watch For
No single sign proves fraud, but any of these deserves a phone call to a number you already have — never a number from the suspicious email itself.
New or Changed Wiring Instructions
Legitimate parties almost never change bank details mid-transaction. Treat any change as a red flag until you have verified it by phone.
Urgency and Pressure
Wire today or lose the closing date. Do it now or the deal falls apart. Rushing you is the fraudster's favorite tool.
Slight Changes in the Email Address
Look closely — a swapped letter, an extra word, or a different domain that looks almost right.
Requests to Keep It Quiet
Instructions like don't call the office, just reply here, or the closer is out of town are hallmarks of a takeover attempt.
Our Process
The Steps We Take to Protect Every Closing
Wire security is not a single tool — it is a discipline. Here is how Select Title Company handles wire information on both sides of every transaction.
Secure Delivery Through CertifID
Wire instructions are never sent as a plain email with bank details. They are delivered through CertifID's secure, encrypted platform with identity verification built in.
Verified Payees, Not Just Verified Emails
CertifID checks that the account receiving funds belongs to the person we believe it belongs to — using verification data, not just trust in an email address.
Confirmation on Both Ends
We ask you to confirm receipt of wire instructions through the secure channel, and we confirm back that what you received matches what we sent. Any mismatch stops the wire.
A Hard Rule on Changes
If wiring instructions ever change mid-transaction, we verify by phone at a number we already have on file before anything moves.
Staff Training and Monitoring
Our team is trained to spot compromised accounts and social-engineering attempts, and our own systems are monitored so we are a hard target — not an easy one.
CertifID
Why We Use CertifID to Send, Receive and Confirm Wire Information
CertifID is the industry-leading wire fraud protection platform built for real estate and title companies. We chose it because it protects both directions of the wire — money going out to payoffs and money coming in from buyers.
Send — Securely
When we deliver wire instructions, they go through CertifID's encrypted, authenticated channel instead of a plain email. Bank details are never exposed in an inbox a criminal may be watching.
Receive — Verified
When we accept incoming wire information from you, your lender, or another party, CertifID verifies the identity of the sender and the bank account before we rely on it.
Confirm — Every Time
CertifID supports verification callbacks and confirmation records, so both parties have proof the instructions sent and the instructions received are the same.
CertifID protects billions of dollars in real estate transactions every year and is trusted by thousands of title agencies across the country — including us.
How we verify identities with CertifID
What You Should Do
A few simple habits on your side make you a hard target too.
Call Before You Wire — Every Time
Before sending any wire, call us at a number you already have (not one from an email) and read the bank details aloud to confirm them.
Never Trust Wire Details from an Email Alone
Email is not secure. Treat any wire instructions that arrive by email — even ones that look perfect — as unverified until confirmed by phone.
Watch for Look-Alike Addresses
Check the sender's email character by character. Small differences are easy to miss and exactly what fraudsters count on.
Don't Forward Wire Instructions
Forwarding instructions through more inboxes creates more chances for interception. Use our secure channel instead.
If Something Feels Wrong, Stop and Call Us
Speed matters. If you suspect fraud at any point — a strange email, a last-minute change, anything — do not send money and do not reply to the email.
- Stop. Do not wire funds and do not respond to the suspicious message.
- Call your Select Title Company closer directly at (810) 220-1370, the number you already have for us — not any number included in the suspicious email.
- If a wire has already been sent, call your bank immediately and request a recall, then alert the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Minutes matter.
Frequently asked questions
Will Select Title Company ever email me wire instructions?
No. We deliver wire instructions through CertifID's secure platform. If you receive what looks like our wire instructions as a plain email with bank details, treat it as suspicious and call us at (810) 220-1370 to verify.
What should I do if I get an email with new wiring instructions?
Do not act on it. Call your Select Title Company closer at a number you already have and verify verbally before anything is sent. Legitimate changes are rare, and we will always confirm them by phone.
Does CertifID protect money coming in as well as going out?
Yes. CertifID is used on both sides: it secures the wire instructions we send out, and it verifies the identity and account details of incoming wires from buyers and lenders before we accept them.
I already wired money and now suspect fraud. What now?
Call your bank immediately and request a wire recall, then file a report with the FBI at ic3.gov and contact law enforcement. Speed is critical — the first hours offer the best chance of recovery.
Questions About Wiring Funds for Your Closing?
Talk with our closing team before you send anything. We would rather answer ten verification calls than see one wire go astray.