Arizona buyer question
How do I avoid wire fraud when sending closing funds in Arizona?
Scammers send fake wiring instructions that look like they're from your escrow officer or agent. Here's how to check before you send, and what to do if money goes to the wrong place.
Two ways to start
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The short answer
Quick answer: Treat any emailed wiring instructions, especially a last-minute change, as suspect. Before you send money, call your escrow officer at a number you already verified, not one in the email. Arizona's Buyer Advisory gives the same advice. If you wired money to the wrong account, call your bank immediately and file a complaint at ic3.gov.
Source: Arizona Department of Real Estate, Buyer Advisory (January 2025); FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 IC3 Annual Report. Last updated .
How does closing wire fraud work?
Criminals break into or imitate the email of someone in your transaction, such as an escrow officer, agent, attorney or lender, and send instructions that send your earnest money or closing funds to their own account. Arizona REALTORS®' Wire Fraud Advisory warns that money wired to a fraudulent account typically can't be recovered and that there is generally no insurance for the loss.
The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report describes a case from August 2025: people closing on a home received an email impersonating their attorneys and wired more than $449,000. Because they reported it quickly and an IC3 complaint was filed, the FBI's Recovery Asset Team asked the receiving bank to freeze the account, and the full amount was still there and put on hold.
How common is it?
| IC3 "real estate" category | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints | 9,359 | 12,368 |
| Reported losses | $173,586,820 | $275,110,419 |
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 IC3 Annual Report. IC3's real estate category covers losses from real estate investment or fraud involving rental or timeshare property, so it isn't limited to closing wire fraud. Reported figures count only complaints filed with IC3.
Across all crime types, IC3 received 28,868 complaints from Arizona in 2025, the seventh-most of any state, and Arizona ranked fourth in complaints per 100,000 residents (378.7).
Create your free account to see all homes for sale that fit the monthly payment you're comfortable with, each with its actual property taxes, HOA dues, estimated homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance when it applies, plus its own estimated closing costs and APR disclosure.
Opens a third-party home search site. Payments shown there are estimates to help you search, not a loan offer or rate quote. Your actual payment depends on price, down payment, credit, taxes, insurance, HOA, and loan program.
Steps before you send any money
- Get your escrow officer's phone number early, from a trusted source. The Arizona REALTORS® advisory says to call a number obtained in person or through other reliable means, never one provided in the email or in the wiring instructions.
- Call to confirm every set of instructions before wiring, including earnest money. Arizona's Buyer Advisory says to independently confirm wiring instructions in person or by a phone call to a trusted, verified number before wiring any money.
- Treat changes as a red flag. A message saying the account changed, the deal is urgent, or you should reply only by email is a reason to stop and call.
- Don't email documents that show bank account numbers or personal identification. The Arizona REALTORS® resale contract carries this warning on its first page.
- Agree on a plan with your agent and escrow officer. Ask how the escrow company will send instructions, and confirm by phone that the funds arrived.
- Be wary of links and attachments in unexpected messages asking for personal or financial information. The advisory says to call your escrow officer before acting on one.
What if I already sent money to the wrong account?
The FBI's 2025 report says time is of the essence:
- Call your bank immediately and ask it to recall the wire, along with any indemnification paperwork it needs.
- File a complaint at ic3.gov, whatever the amount, with full transaction details. IC3 may be able to help banks and law enforcement freeze funds.
- Tell your escrow company and your agent right away so they can secure the transaction and check their own systems.
In 2025, IC3's Recovery Asset Team handled 3,900 incidents through its Financial Fraud Kill Chain and froze $679,013,183, which the report calls a 58% success rate. Speed made the difference in those cases.
Closing with confidence
Wire safety is one step in a longer list. Settle your monthly budget early so you're not rushing at the end.
A free account shows every home for sale that fits the monthly payment you're comfortable with, each with its real property taxes, HOA dues, estimated homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance when it applies, plus its own closing cost estimate and APR disclosure.
Related: earnest money in Arizona · how long closing takes · title commitment · what a buyer's agent does · more questions.
General information, not legal or security advice. Follow the instructions your escrow company confirms by phone.
What clients say about Rebel Rate Mortgage
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Create your free account to see all homes for sale that fit the monthly payment you're comfortable with, each with its actual property taxes, HOA dues, estimated homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance when it applies, plus its own estimated closing costs and APR disclosure.
Opens a third-party home search site. Payments shown there are estimates to help you search, not a loan offer or rate quote. Your actual payment depends on price, down payment, credit, taxes, insurance, HOA, and loan program.
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Sources
- Arizona Department of Real Estate and Arizona REALTORS®, Buyer Advisory (updated January 2025)
- Arizona REALTORS®, Wire Fraud Advisory (PDF, updated April 2020) (text checked October 15, 2026)
- Arizona REALTORS®, Residential Resale Real Estate Purchase Contract (August 2024 form; inspection period section)
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 IC3 Annual Report (PDF) (real estate complaints and losses, complaints by state, Financial Fraud Kill Chain guidance; retrieved October 15, 2026)
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), file a complaint (retrieved October 15, 2026)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Mortgage closing scams: how to protect yourself and your closing funds
Frequently asked questions
How do I avoid wire fraud when sending closing funds in Arizona?
Confirm wiring instructions in person or by phone at a trusted, verified number before sending money, never with contact details from the email. Treat any change in instructions as a red flag.
What should I do if I wired closing funds to a scammer?
Call your bank right away and ask for a recall of the wire, file a complaint at ic3.gov with full transaction details, and tell your escrow company and agent.
Will insurance cover money I wired to a fake account?
Don't count on it. Arizona REALTORS®' Wire Fraud Advisory says money wired to a fraudulent account typically can't be recovered and there is generally no insurance for the loss.
Does wire fraud also target earnest money?
Yes. Earnest money can be sent by wire, so confirm those instructions by phone at a verified number too.
How many real estate fraud complaints does the FBI receive?
The FBI's IC3 recorded 12,368 real estate fraud complaints with $275,110,419 in reported losses in 2025, up from 9,359 complaints in 2024.