Wire Fraud Alert
Real estate wire fraud is one of the fastest-growing cybercrimes in America. Protect yourself.
We Will NEVER Change Wire Instructions
Coastal Collective Title will NEVER send you updated or changed wire instructions by email, text message, or voicemail. If you receive communication asking you to redirect funds, it is fraud.
How Wire Fraud Happens
Cybercriminals monitor email accounts of real estate agents, lenders, title companies, and buyers looking for upcoming closings. When they identify a target, they send convincing but fraudulent emails that appear to come from a trusted party, directing the buyer to wire funds to a different account.
These emails often contain the correct names, addresses, and transaction details, making them extremely difficult to spot. According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, real estate wire fraud losses exceed hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
How to Protect Yourself
Always verify wire instructions by phone
Call our office directly at 813-544-8626 using the number from our website or your original documents. Do NOT call a number provided in an email.
Be suspicious of last-minute changes
If you receive an email claiming wire instructions have changed, it is almost certainly fraud. Stop and call us immediately.
Confirm receipt of your wire
After sending a wire, call our office to confirm we received the funds. If the funds were sent to a fraudulent account, immediate action may help recover them.
Watch for red flags in emails
Misspelled names, slight variations in email addresses, urgency to send funds immediately, and requests to use a different account are all warning signs.
If You Suspect Wire Fraud
- 1Contact your bank immediately and request a wire recall.
- 2Call Coastal Collective Title at 813-544-8626 to report the incident.
- 3File a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
- 4Contact your local law enforcement and provide all relevant communications.
Time is critical. The sooner you act, the better the chance of recovering your funds.
Questions About Wire Safety?
Our team is always happy to walk you through our secure funding process. When in doubt, call.
Call 813-544-8626