Disclaimer: We have seen active attempts of this scam in our industry. Agents are being targeted at random by fraudulent SMS messages designed to redirect wire transfers.

What’s Happening

Criminals are sending random text messages to real estate agents, impersonating escrow officers. A common message looks like: “Hi, this is Sarah from escrow. I’ll be out today — expect a call from my office manager with updated wire instructions.” The “manager” then calls or texts, pushing new wiring details. The goal is to trick you or your client into wiring money into the fraudster’s account.