Reviewed by the Sky Escrow team, a California DFPI-licensed escrow company serving Los Angeles County.
Last updated: August 25, 2026
To verify wire instructions for escrow, call your escrow officer at a phone number you already have on file — never one printed in the email containing the instructions — and read the routing number, account number, and receiving bank name back to them aloud, one digit at a time. Do this every time you receive wiring instructions, even if they match an earlier email exactly. A verified callback is the only step that actually confirms who is on the other end of the wire.
Why Confirming Wire Transfer Details in Escrow Takes More Than a Glance
An email that looks correct isn’t the same as instructions that are correct. Fraud schemes targeting escrow closings intercept a real transaction thread — often through a compromised inbox belonging to an agent, buyer, seller, or escrow employee — and insert wiring instructions that appear identical to the legitimate ones, down to the letterhead. The only detail that’s actually different is the receiving account.
Because a completed wire is difficult to reverse once it settles, verification has to happen before you authorize the transfer, not after — and through a channel the sender of a fraudulent email doesn’t control. That rules out replying to the same email or calling a number the email itself supplies.
How to Verify Wiring Instructions: 6 Steps Before You Send Money
These steps apply whether you’re a buyer wiring a down payment and closing costs, or a seller receiving net proceeds information for a payoff or 1031 exchange. Follow them in order.
- Locate a phone number for your escrow officer independently. Use a number from your signed escrow instructions, a prior closing document, or the escrow company’s official website — not any number listed in the wiring email. Different numbers between the two sources is itself a warning sign.
- Call and ask to verify wire instructions before you act on them. Speak with a live person, ideally your assigned escrow officer, and state that you’re calling to verify wiring instructions before sending a transfer. Don’t confirm details over text or email — both can be spoofed the same way the original instructions were.
- Read the receiving bank name back aloud. Confirm the exact name of the bank, and if anything sounds unfamiliar for your escrow company’s usual account, ask why.
- Read the routing number and account number back digit by digit. Don’t just confirm the numbers “look right” — read each digit aloud and have the escrow officer confirm each one matches. A single transposed digit sends funds to a different account entirely, with no error message at any point in the process.
- Confirm the name on the receiving account. Legitimate escrow wiring instructions direct funds into the escrow company’s trust account, titled in the company’s name — not an individual’s name, a property address, or an LLC you don’t recognize from the transaction.
- Treat any change to previously provided instructions as an automatic stop. If wiring details differ at all from what you were told earlier — even by one digit — stop, do not send the wire, and call your escrow officer directly to ask why before doing anything else.
For the full sequence of sending the wire itself once instructions are verified — including bank cutoff times and confirming receipt — see How to Wire Money for Escrow Safely.
What to Verify on Every Set of Wire Instructions
| Detail | How to Verify It |
|---|---|
| Receiving bank name | Confirm verbally by phone; ask if it differs from any bank named earlier in the file |
| Routing number | Read back digit by digit over the phone, not just visually compared |
| Account number | Read back digit by digit over the phone, not just visually compared |
| Account holder name | Should be the escrow company’s trust account name, not an individual or unfamiliar entity |
| Sender’s phone number | Look up independently — never call a number supplied only in the email |
| Sender’s email domain | Check character by character for lookalike spelling (an inserted letter, a swapped domain ending) |
Red Flags That Wire Instructions May Not Be Legitimate
- Instructions arrive only by email, with no invitation to call and confirm.
- You’re asked to reply by email or text to “confirm receipt” instead of calling.
- The message pushes urgency — a threat that closing will be delayed if you don’t wire immediately.
- The sender’s email address is spelled slightly differently from your escrow company’s actual domain.
- The account is titled to an individual, rather than the escrow company’s named trust account.
- Instructions differ in any way — even by one digit — from wiring details given earlier in the transaction.
These patterns show up across other forms of closing-related fraud as well, not just wire instructions. For a broader look at how these schemes are built and staged throughout a transaction, see Real Estate Wire Fraud Prevention.
California Good Funds Law and Why Verification Matters in LA Closings
California’s Good Funds Law generally requires that funds have actually settled — such as a wire transfer or cashier’s check — before an escrow holder can disburse against them or a deed can record. That framework governs when money can move; it does not undo a transfer sent to a fraudulent account, which is why verification has to happen first.
Los Angeles County’s high median property values make local closings a frequent target, since one successful redirect can involve a large sum. Sky Escrow is licensed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI), which oversees escrow companies under California Escrow Law, License No. 96DBO-214073 (status: Active). The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) — a separate state agency — publishes consumer alerts specifically addressing wire fraud in California real estate transactions California DRE wire fraud consumer alert.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I verify escrow wire instructions before sending money?
Call your escrow officer at a phone number you found independently — not one listed in the wiring email — and read the bank name, routing number, and account number back aloud, digit by digit, before authorizing the transfer.
Can I just call the phone number listed in the wiring instructions email?
No. If the email is fraudulent, any phone number it lists may also be controlled by the same source. Look up your escrow company’s number independently, from a signed document or the company’s official site.
What if the wiring instructions changed from what I was told earlier?
Stop before sending anything. Call your escrow officer directly using a number you already have and ask about the change before acting on it — legitimate instructions rarely change late in a transaction without advance notice.
Does Sky Escrow send wire instructions by email?
Sky Escrow provides wiring instructions directly through your assigned escrow officer and expects every client to verify those instructions by phone before sending funds, regardless of how they were delivered.
What should I do if I already sent a wire before verifying?
Contact your bank’s fraud department immediately to request a wire recall, notify your escrow officer so the file can be flagged, and file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Speed matters — recovery becomes far less likely after the first few hours.
Sky Escrow, Inc.
15760 Ventura Blvd, Suite 1050, Encino, CA 91436
Phone: (818) 712-0000 / (888) 891-0002
Email: info@skyescrow.com
Licensed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.
This article is for general informational purposes and is not legal, financial, or tax advice.
Before you send any closing funds, call your Sky Escrow officer at a number you’ve verified independently and confirm the instructions in front of you line by line — it takes only a few minutes and it is the step that stops nearly every wire fraud attempt cold.