Wire Fraud
WIRE FRAUD WARNING
Wire fraud is the biggest financial risk in a real estate transaction. To reduce your risk:
* Do NOT accept wire instructions from a third party
If you did not receive wire instructions directly from Dunes Title / Dunes Law Firm, do not trust them. We will neither ask nor authorize any third party (real estate agents, banks) to send wire instructions on our behalf.
* Do NOT trust wire instructions sent via email
We will NEVER send wire instructions via email, as they are the primary method by which fraudsters redirect wires. Email accounts are hacked regularly. If you receive wire instructions via email (even if it came from a trusted source), assume the wire instructions have been altered.
* Always confirm wire instructions by telephone
Call us on a phone number you have verified independent of any email communication. Do not assume the phone number or link in any email is correct. You can also ask your financial institution to contact our bank to confirm the routing and account numbers.
* Be suspicious of any change to wire instructions
We will NOT change our wire instructions during your transaction. If you suspect any alteration from the original instructions, call us immediately to confirm the updated information.
* Call us immediately after you send your wire
It takes several hours for a submitted wire to hit our escrow account. If funds are wired to a fraudster, we have at most 24-48 hours to recover them. CALL US (remember, emails get hacked) to tell us your funds are in route.
Dunes Title and Dunes Law Firm are not responsible for funds not wired in accordance with our wire instructions. It is imperative you stay vigilant when sending wires. The convenience of wiring is wonderful, but with that convenience comes the need to exercise extra precaution to ensure your funds arrive where they are supposed to go.