Short answer
Verify payment instructions through a trusted phone number before sending money, especially when an email changes the account or creates urgency. Do not rely on replying to the same email because a criminal may control the conversation.
The client problem behind the question
The buyer receives professional-looking instructions the evening before closing and is pressured to wire the money immediately.
What the official guidance establishes
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warns about changed banking information, look-alike email addresses, pressure, unexpected wire instructions and requests to send money to a new account. It recommends independent verification.
Where the answer can change
Law firms and lenders use different payment methods. A familiar email signature does not prove the message is genuine. Once a wire moves, recovery can be difficult and time-sensitive.
A practical Ontario example
Illustration only: A buyer previously received correct instructions, then a nearly identical email changes one digit in the destination account. A call to the law firm’s published number exposes the fraud before the transfer.
What to do before committing
Confirm the recipient name, institution, account and amount by phone using a number obtained independently. Use multi-factor authentication, inspect the full email address and treat every last-minute change as suspicious.
Questions Rajiv would ask
- What deadline, condition or closing problem must be solved?
- Which facts are confirmed by original documents and which are still assumptions?
- Which law, insurer rule or lender policy applies to this exact transaction?
- What happens to the cash requirement and monthly payment if the first option fails?
- What is the practical route back to lower-cost financing, if temporary financing is used?
Rajiv’s broker perspective
A difficult mortgage can be solved only with accurate information. I would rather explain a real income gap, credit issue or closing shortfall to the right lender than submit a polished story that the documents do not support. The legitimate options may include another A policy, alternative/B lending, an MIC or private bridge, a larger down payment, a delayed closing or a lower purchase price.
Related: Mortgage declined? Start here · Mortgage Knowledge Centre · Real Estate Centre · Updates & Rules Centre
Would a second opinion help before you commit?
Send Rajiv the property, deadline, financing concern and the documents already available. He can identify the missing questions, compare practical mortgage routes and explain the next step in plain language.