Holiday closings in Myrtle Beach can coincide with bank and courthouse closures, which scammers exploit to reroute down-payment or closing funds. The fastest safeguard is simple: call your closing attorney using a phone number you look up independently and confirm wire instructions before you send a dime. This guide lists quick red flags, a 60-second verification checklist, and what to do if you spot a fake email.
Why holiday closings attract scammers
Banks and courthouses take seasonal breaks. That slower cadence gives criminals a window to send look-alike emails that mimic your real estate agent, lender, or paralegal. One typo in a routing number can send your life savings to a burner account. Retrieval is difficult and time sensitive.
Red flags in wire-fraud emails
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A new or “updated” account number arrives near a bank holiday.
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The sender’s domain is slightly off, such as an extra letter or a swapped character.
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You are rushed to “send today” or told the office is “unavailable by phone.”
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Instructions arrive as a PDF image that blocks copy-paste.
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You are asked to confirm by replying to the same email thread.
Your 60-second “Verify Before You Wire” checklist
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Look up the law firm’s main line yourself. Use the number on the firm’s website or engagement letter, not any number inside the email.
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Call your closing attorney or paralegal. Read the routing and account number aloud. Ask them to read back the same numbers from your file.
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Confirm beneficiary name and bank branch. If anything differs, stop.
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Ask for a second contact method. For example, a direct extension for final confirmation from the closing table.
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Document the call. Note date, time, and the person who confirmed.
What to do if you receive “new” instructions
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Pause the transfer. Do not reply to the email.
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Call your closing attorney using an independently sourced number.
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Forward the suspicious message to your attorney after the call so the sender headers can be examined.
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Alert your agent and lender so the rest of the team can watch for copycat attempts.
What to do if you already sent funds
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Call your bank’s fraud department immediately and request a wire recall.
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Call your closing attorney next to coordinate notices to the receiving bank.
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File a report with law enforcement and provide the transaction receipt and email headers. Speed matters, especially during holiday closures.
Local help for Myrtle Beach buyers and sellers
If you’re buying or selling a home in Horry or Georgetown County, work with a Myrtle Beach real estate attorney who sets verification steps into every closing and gives you a direct phone number for last-mile confirmation. See our Myrtle Beach real estate attorneys page for how a closing is secured from contract to keys.
Call us before you wire
Protect your home, your holidays, and your wallet. Call our office to confirm any wire details before sending funds. Free, fast guidance for Myrtle Beach closings. Office: 4610 Oleander Dr #203, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577.