Is an email from my solicitor asking me to change the bank account details for a house purchase payment safe?

Conveyancing fraud is one of the most financially devastating forms of payment diversion. Scammers monitor email correspondence between homebuyers and their solicitors — either through a compromised email account or by creating convincing lookalike email addresses. Shortly before completion, when large sums must be transferred, the scammer sends a fake email from what appears to be the solicitor's address, advising that the bank account for the completion funds has changed. Homebuyers who transfer their savings to the fraudulent account may lose their entire purchase price with very limited recovery options. Before transferring any funds for a property purchase, call your solicitor on a telephone number you already have on file — not one provided in the email — and verbally confirm all payment details.

The days around exchange and completion are uniquely dangerous because everything about the fraudulent email fits your expectations: you are waiting for payment instructions, large transfers are normal, and delay feels costly. Build the defence in early instead. At the start of the transaction, agree with your solicitor how bank details will be communicated and confirm the account details verbally then, when there is no time pressure. Many firms state in writing that their bank details will never change by email — take that literally. A small test transfer confirmed by phone before sending the balance adds one more inexpensive layer to the largest payment most people ever make.