Buying a home usually involves weeks of inspections, contracts and paperwork. But increasingly, the biggest threat to a buyer’s deposit may arrive quietly in their inbox.

Australian authorities are warning of a growing form of property fraud known as business email compromise (BEC), where criminals impersonate or take control of legitimate business email accounts to redirect property payments. In February 2026, the Australian Federal Police warned that criminals were increasingly impersonating conveyancers to target buyers during settlement.

The scam can be remarkably simple. A buyer receives what appears to be a genuine message from their conveyancer, solicitor or agent. Everything may look familiar — the logo, email conversation and professional language. The only major difference is the bank account.

In one recent case reported by police, a buyer was sent a fraudulent invoice for $338,000 after a conveyancing firm’s email account was compromised.

Artificial intelligence is adding another layer to the problem. Criminals can now produce convincing messages at scale, personalise communications and potentially imitate the voices of people involved in a transaction. PEXA’s latest research found that Australian buyers’ confidence in identifying property scams has fallen from 51 per cent in 2025 to just 41 per cent in 2026.

The safest response is surprisingly low-tech: stop and verify.

Never rely solely on an email to confirm bank details. If payment instructions change, call the conveyancer or solicitor using a trusted number obtained independently. Where possible, confirm account details through a secure platform or in person.

A property purchase may be digital from beginning to end, but when hundreds of thousands of dollars are involved, one old-fashioned phone call could prevent a devastating mistake.