Wire Fraud Advisory

Last updated: June 2026

TODO — Template notice: This advisory is a starting template only. It has not been reviewed by an attorney and must be examined and approved by a licensed attorney and/or qualifying broker admitted in the State of Florida before this page is published. Confirm reporting contacts and procedures and replace all placeholders marked TODO with verified information.

1. The threat is real

Criminals monitor email accounts of buyers, sellers, agents, title companies, and lenders. As a closing approaches, they send fake or altered wiring instructions that look like they came from a trusted party, hoping to divert your money to an account they control. This scheme is often called business email compromise or real estate wire fraud, and stolen funds are frequently impossible to recover.

2. Golden rules — protect your money

• Never trust wiring instructions you receive by email or text alone. Treat every set of instructions — and every change to instructions — as suspect until verified.
• Always verify by phone before wiring, using a phone number you independently know to be correct (from the signed contract, a prior in-person meeting, or the company’s official website) — not a number contained in the email.
• Be suspicious of any last-minute change to bank account numbers, routing numbers, or beneficiary names. Legitimate parties rarely change instructions at the last moment; fraudsters often do.
• Confirm receipt. Within a few hours of sending a wire, call the receiving party (again using a known number) to confirm the funds arrived in the correct account.
• Do not act on urgency or secrecy. Pressure to wire immediately, or instructions to keep the transfer confidential, are warning signs.
• Protect your email. Use strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication, and be cautious with links and attachments.

3. How Island Realtors communicates

Island Realtors, Inc. and its agents will never send you wiring instructions by email and ask you to act on them without independent verification, and we will never email you a sudden change to where funds should be sent. Wiring instructions should come from your title company, escrow agent, or closing attorney — and even then, you should call to verify them using a trusted number before sending any money. If you receive instructions that appear to be from us regarding wiring funds, stop and call us at (833) 436-8612 to confirm.

4. If you think you have been targeted or defrauded

Act immediately — time is critical, because banks may be able to attempt a recall or freeze if you move fast:

1. Contact your bank (and the receiving bank) right away and request a wire recall or reversal due to fraud. Ask them to issue a SWIFT recall notice if applicable.
2. Report it to the FBI through the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov. The FBI’s Recovery Asset Team may be able to help freeze fraudulent transfers if reported quickly.
3. Notify your title/escrow company, lender, and Island Realtors so all parties can take protective steps.
4. File a report with local law enforcement and consider notifying the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
5. Preserve evidence: keep the suspicious emails, headers, phone numbers, and wire confirmations.

5. Acknowledgment

By proceeding with a transaction, you acknowledge that you have read this advisory and understand the risk of wire fraud. Island Realtors, Inc. provides this information as a courtesy and is not responsible for instructions sent by third parties or by impostors; you are responsible for independently verifying all wiring instructions before transmitting funds. See our Website Disclaimer and Terms of Service for additional limitations.

6. Related policies

See also our Privacy Policy, our Communications & Consent Policy and our full Policies & Disclosures index.

7. Contact

Questions or to verify a communication, contact Island Realtors, Inc. at (833) 436-8612 or maharrison@aservantofgod.net. Ocoee, FL. All rights reserved. · Equal Housing Opportunity.