How Spokane and Coeur d’Alene Home Buyers Can Protect Themselves From Real Estate Scams

Updated October 7, 2026.

Real estate scams can turn an otherwise well-planned purchase into a difficult problem. For buyers and sellers in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, the most useful protection is a clear process for confirming who you are dealing with and where your money is going.

After more than 20 years in real estate, I put considerable weight on the details between an accepted offer and closing. There are documents to review, deadlines to track, and several professionals involved. That is exactly when an unexpected message can appear to fit the conversation.

How real estate scams can reach a closing

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warns that criminals may impersonate someone involved in the transaction and send last-minute changes to wiring instructions. An email can look familiar without being legitimate. A recognizable name or a correct property address should not be your only verification.

Before sending closing funds, call your settlement professional using a phone number you independently verified earlier. Confirm the payment instructions directly. Do not rely on a phone number or link in the message asking you to change them.

A practical checklist before closing

• Establish your contacts early. Keep your lender’s and escrow or settlement professional’s verified contact information somewhere you can find it without searching a new email.
• Agree on the process. Ask how payment instructions and sensitive documents will be delivered and how you should confirm them.
• Pause when instructions change. Urgency is a reason to verify the request, even when the message refers to a real deadline.
• Use the agreed document channel. Ask your lender or settlement professional for their secure submission process before sending financial records.
• Confirm receipt. After an authorized transfer, contact the intended recipient through your established channel.

The CFPB’s mortgage closing scam guidance explains the verification steps and what to do if funds are sent to the wrong account.

If something seems wrong

If you suspect a fraudulent transfer, contact your bank or wire-transfer company immediately and ask whether the transfer can be stopped or recalled. Alert your settlement professional and report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center through the link in the CFPB guidance. Recovery is not assured, so prompt action matters.

Build verification into your moving plan

A useful closing plan leaves room to ask questions. For example, if your sale proceeds will fund your next purchase, confirm the sequence with the professionals handling both transactions before the closing dates arrive. The goal is to avoid making an unfamiliar payment decision while everyone is watching the clock.

My Spokane and North Idaho homebuyer guide explains the broader buying process. If you are coordinating two moves, read selling in Washington and buying in North Idaho for planning questions to raise early.

If a request does not fit the process we discussed, call me. I would much rather help you check an ordinary message than have you feel pressured to act on an unusual one.