How To Protect a Family Member From Scams During a House Move
House moves create a busy, distracted window that scammers exploit — practical steps to keep a relative safe from conveyancing and moving-day fraud.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Moving house involves large financial transfers, multiple new contacts, and high stress — all conditions that scammers actively target. Conveyancing fraud, where the buyer is tricked into transferring their deposit to a scammer's account, is a significant risk. A few simple habits can prevent devastating losses.
Conveyancing fraud: the biggest risk
Conveyancing fraud is the single largest financial risk during a house move, because deposits often involve large sums moved in one transfer, and the email chains between buyer, seller, and solicitor create an obvious target. Scammers monitor or intercept these threads, then send a convincing message that appears to come from the solicitor, informing the buyer that 'bank details have changed' and providing new account details for the deposit — money sent this way is very difficult to recover. The single most effective protection is to never trust bank details received by email alone: always confirm account details by phone, using a number from the solicitor's original letter, not one included in the email itself, before transferring a deposit.
- Always call the solicitor on a number you have independently verified before transferring any money
- Never use bank details sent by email — call to confirm any account change
- Be suspicious of any last-minute change to payment details
- Use a verified number from the solicitor's official website, not from the email itself
Other moving-related scam risks
Beyond conveyancing fraud, a house move opens several other scam windows worth flagging to a relative. Removal-company scams involve a firm that takes a deposit and either never shows up or holds belongings hostage for extra cash on moving day, so it's worth checking reviews and confirming a fixed price in writing beforehand. Rental scams target people moving into a rented property, advertising a listing that doesn't exist or isn't actually available, and asking for a deposit before a viewing ever happens. Address-change scams also occur, where a fraudulent 'redirect your post' request is used to intercept financial mail at the old address. Being aware of this wider pattern, not just the deposit itself, helps a relative stay alert throughout.
- Fake removal companies taking deposits and not showing up
- Fraudulent 'change of address' services that capture all mail
- Utility switching scams disguised as meter readings or service offers
- Rental deposit scams if the relative is renting rather than buying
Building in verification habits
The underlying protection across every stage of a move is the same: slow down any financial transaction enough for a second person to check it before it happens. Agree with your relative in advance that any change to payment details, any new deposit request, or any unusually urgent instruction during the move gets a phone call to a known, independently found number before money moves, and ideally a quick call or message to you or another trusted family member too. Because moves are genuinely busy and stressful, with real deadlines around exchange and completion, it helps to agree this habit calmly beforehand, rather than trying to introduce caution for the first time in the middle of an urgent-feeling email.
- Agree: any payment over [amount] requires a call to you before transfer
- Verify removal companies on review sites and confirm bookings in writing
- Use the Royal Mail redirection service and check the official website for the link
- Register the new address with financial institutions promptly to close the mail-interception window
Conversation script
“Moving involves some big transfers — can we agree that before you send any money to the solicitor, you give me a quick call so we can double-check the bank details together?”
“The solicitor's account details should never change by email. If you get an email saying the details have changed, that's a big red flag — call the solicitor directly.”
“I've read about people losing their deposits this way. It's nothing to do with you being careful — it's just a really specific thing to watch for during a move.”
Frequently asked questions
What is conveyancing fraud and how common is it?
Conveyancing fraud occurs when a scammer intercepts the email communication between a buyer and their solicitor and sends a fake email asking the buyer to transfer their deposit to a different account. It is a significant and growing risk in property transactions, and deposits are often irrecoverable once sent to a fraudulent account.
Should my relative check with me before every payment during a move?
For large transfers such as the deposit or completion payment — yes, absolutely. For small day-to-day moving costs, normal judgement applies. The key is to be particularly vigilant for any email instruction to transfer a large sum or to use new bank details.