Homebuyers can spend almost six months working towards completion before being asked to transfer some of the largest sums involved in their purchase, creating a point of vulnerability that fraudsters can exploit. Now, new warnings are highlighting the scale of the risk facing buyers at the point money changes hands. Report Fraud recorded 3,657 payment-diversion scams in 2025-26, with victims losing £101 million after being persuaded to send money to the wrong bank account. Conveyancing fraud forms part of this wider problem, with criminals targeting buyers when deposits or completion funds are due. Moving Compared, the UK’s leading home moving hub helping buyers and sellers compare trusted conveyancers and surveyors, is revealing four warning signs buyers should check before transferring property funds.
The fraud can be particularly convincing because it often appears towards the end of a genuine transaction. Criminals may gain access to an existing email chain or imitate a solicitor’s address, then send payment instructions at a moment when the buyer is already expecting to hear about transferring their deposit or completion funds. The scam has become known as “Friday afternoon fraud” because cases often target the final stages of a sale, when completion may be approaching before a weekend. Moving Compared says buyers should know what to expect before they reach the payment stage, so any change in process is easier to spot.
1. The bank details have changed
If payment details change unexpectedly, stop and check them before doing anything else. A scammer may have hijacked your email exchange. Buyers should contact their conveyancer, ideally using a trusted phone number, before transferring money. It is valuable to confirm in advance how payment details will be shared, so any change is easier to spot.
2. The message suddenly becomes urgent
Fraudsters can use the pressure surrounding completion to make unusual demands feel plausible. A request suggesting money must be transferred immediately should be verified directly rather than acted on because a deadline appears to be approaching. The legitimate home buying process already involves significant time pressure, which makes it particularly important not to let urgency override verification.
3. Something small has changed
A fraudulent email can look almost identical to previous correspondence but contain a subtle difference in the sender’s address. Buyers should check the full email address rather than relying on the displayed sender name, particularly when the message contains new payment instructions.
4. The request arrives unexpectedly
Buyers should establish with their conveyancer in advance how bank details will be provided and how any large transfer will be confirmed. If payment instructions then arrive through a different route or at an unexpected stage of the transaction, they should be checked before any money moves.
Moving Compared stresses how buyers and sellers should stay alert throughout the transaction, even when emails appear familiar. GOV.UK warns that property purchases carry a fraud risk because of the large sums involved, so payment details should always be checked carefully.
Buyers should also ask their conveyancer early on how bank details will be shared and verified. That way, any unexpected change or suspicious request is easier to spot before money is transferred. If money has already been transferred following a fraudulent request, buyers should contact their bank immediately and report the incident to Report Fraud.
