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NEVER RELY on emails purporting to change wire instructions. Parties to a transaction rarely change wire instructions during the course of a transaction.

ALWAYS VERIFY wire instructions, specifically the ABA routing number and account number, by calling the party who sent the instructions to you. DO NOT use the phone number provided in the email containing the instructions, use phone numbers you have called before or can verify independently. Obtain the phone numbers of the Real Estate Agents, Buyers, Sellers, Lender and Attorneys as soon as the application is placed.

DO NOT send an email to verify as the email address may be incorrect, or the email may be intercepted by the fraudster.

DO NOT forward wire instructions to other parties without first verbally verifying the instructions from the sending party.

USE COMPLEX EMAIL PASSWORDS that employ a combination of mixed case, numbers and symbols. Make your passwords greater than eight (8) characters. Also, change your password often and do NOT reuse the same password for other online accounts.

USE MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION for email accounts for an extra layer of security. Your email provider or IT staff may have specific instructions on how to implement this feature.