Wire fraud isn't just a threat to your clients' closing funds — it's a growing liability exposure for the Realtor in the middle of the transaction. If you forward wiring instructions you received by email without independently verifying them, you could be held responsible under Georgia's duty-of-care standards. Here's what every Atlanta-area agent needs to know.

Why This Is a Realtor Problem, Not Just a Buyer Problem

Real estate wire fraud typically starts with a hacked or spoofed email account, often an agent's. Criminals monitor a transaction thread for days or weeks, then send "updated" wiring instructions right before closing, timed to look legitimate and urgent. Buyers wire funds to a fraudulent account, and by the time anyone notices, the money is usually gone..for good.

For Realtors, the exposure goes beyond a devastated client. The Georgia Real Estate Commission has made clear that agents who forward wiring details received by email, without independently verifying them through a known phone number, can be held liable under the duty-of-care standards in GREC Rule 520-1-.09.

That means a compromised inbox isn't just a client's problem; it can become a GREC complaint, an E&O claim, or a lasting reputation issue for you.

Your Duty of Care, in Practice

Under Georgia's standards, "being aware wire fraud exists" isn't enough. Agents are expected to actively verify before passing along anything involving money:

Never forward wiring instructions without independent verification. Call the closing attorney's office using a number you already have on file — not one provided in the email — before sending anything to a client.

Flag any last-minute change to wiring instructions as a red flag, always, regardless of how legitimate the email looks.

Confirm your closing attorney's process for delivering instructions. A firm using a secure client portal instead of plain email materially reduces risk for everyone in the transaction.

Document your verification steps. If a dispute or claim arises later, showing that you called to confirm — and when — matters.

Educate clients early, ideally at contract signing, that legitimate wiring instructions will never change by email alone and that they should call your office or the closing attorney's office directly with any concerns.

Why Your Closing Attorney Partnership Matters Here

Georgia's attorney-closing requirement already builds in a layer of protection: closing funds move through a licensed attorney's trust account, subject to strict ethical and auditing standards, rather than through an unregulated party. Partnering with a firm that reinforces that structure — secure portals for documents and earnest money, verified phone confirmation for any wire change, proactive client education — reduces liability exposure for you as much as it protects your client.

This is also a differentiator worth using in your own marketing. Agents who can point to a documented fraud-prevention process build trust with clients faster, especially with out-of-state buyers relocating to metro Atlanta who are closing with people they've never met in person.

Bottom Line for Agents

Wire fraud liability isn't hypothetical anymore — GREC's duty-of-care standard is already being applied to agents who pass along unverified wiring instructions. Build verification into your process on every deal, and choose a closing attorney partner whose systems make that easier, not harder.

At Heritage we are proud to partner with Qualia and CertifID. Two platforms that combat wire fraud and take security and verification of funds very seriously.

Backed by 5 million of insurance when things do go wrong, the choice is simple when security is of utmost importance.

Reach out to us today to learn more!