The Payment-Instruction Watch System
Client identity withheld.
Results
412
Payment-instruction messages flagged and logged in 90 days
7
High-risk messages escalated for changed bank details or look-alike senders
Every flag
Timestamped, with the client warning attached
0 of 178
Contract deadlines missed across files opened in 90 days
~11,000
Deal emails filed to the right file automatically
5
Late deposits caught a day before the deadline
Company Profile
Company
Residential brokerage. 85 agents, 1 managing broker, 4 TCs. ~720 closings a year.
Stack
Transaction management platform, CRM, a shared TC inbox, e-signature, client texting.
Operating Need
Show that every payment message on every deal is watched, and run the TC team's daily work with fewer gaps.
The Challenge
A buyer at a nearby brokerage had wired their down payment to a scammer after receiving fake "updated wire instructions" by email. The money was gone. The broker here knew his agents and TCs warned clients, but nothing checked every message on every deal, and nothing recorded that a warning had been given. At the same time, four TCs were handling about 180 open files a quarter, with deadlines and deposits tracked by hand and an inbox that never stopped.
The Audit
We reviewed two weeks of deal emails and client texts, plus 50 recent files and the brokerage's deposit tracking.
Patterns Found
- Payment instructions arrived on almost every file, by email and sometimes by text
- Client warnings about wire fraud were given verbally and not recorded
- There was no check for changed bank details or look-alike sender addresses
- Deadlines were typed by hand, and amendments were re-dated by hand
- The shared inbox received well over 100 deal emails a day
- Earnest money proof was chased by email, and several deposits had arrived late
The brokerage couldn't promise that no scam would ever reach a client. It could make sure every payment message was flagged, every client was told to call, and every warning was on record.
The Architecture
Built on our Contract-to-Close System, configured with the Wire Fraud Warning Flag as the lead part.
Wire Fraud Warning Flag
Watches deal emails and texts for any message that gives or changes payment instructions, and flags warning signs like changed bank details, look-alike addresses, rush language or a new sender.
Client and TC Alerts
Sends the client and TC an immediate warning: do not act on this message, call the title company at the number you already have. It never calls a message safe.
Flag Log
Records every flag with time, sender, warning signs and who was alerted, as a record the brokerage took care.
Deal Inbox Sorter
Files every email under the right deal, surfaces urgent items and sends anything about payments to the warning flag.
Contract Deadline Tracker and Earnest Money Watch
Reads deadlines from contracts for TC approval, re-dates amendments, and confirms deposits only on real escrow receipts.
Client Updates
Drafts weekly status updates for buyers and sellers, each reminding them to verify any payment instructions by phone.
How the System Operates
The system flags, warns and records. People verify every payment by phone, and the AI never touches money.
- The system never calls a message safe; it says only "flagged" or "not flagged, still call to confirm"
- The system never sends, edits or forwards wire details
- Every flag is logged, whether or not anyone acted on it
How It Flows
- 1A deal email or text arrives
- 2The AI files it and checks for payment instructions and warning signs
- 3If flagged, the client and TC are told to verify by phone at a known number
- 4The flag, the warning and the time are logged on the deal
Payment details are confirmed only by phone with the title company, never through the system.
Implementation
| Stage | Focus | Key Results |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Message audit | Two weeks of emails and texts reviewed; payment-message patterns mapped |
| Stage 2 | Setup and approval | Warning rules, client alert wording and log format approved by the broker |
| Stage 3 | Wire flag launch | Warning Flag, alerts and log live on every open file |
| Stage 4 | Full rollout | Inbox Sorter, Deadline Tracker, Earnest Money Watch and Client Updates live for all four TCs |
Ownership
The flag log and every deal record stay in the brokerage's own systems.
A complete, timestamped log of every flagged payment message
Approved client warning and update templates
A deadline and deposit record for every file
A sorted, searchable deal inbox
Operational Impact
Every payment message on every deal is now checked, and every client is told the same thing: call the title company at a number you already have. The broker has a record showing the brokerage took care on every file. The TC team runs on approved deadlines, verified deposits and a sorted inbox, so the daily work is calmer at the same time the risk is better managed.