By Michael A. Jones - PREC* | Royal LePage Kelowna

Watercolour of a laptop and phone in a sunlit Okanagan-inspired home overlooking a lake and autumn hills.
Agree on payment-verification procedures before completion day. AI-generated editorial illustration of a fictional setting.

You have accepted an offer, arranged the move and started planning what comes next. The money from your sale may be paying for another home, supporting retirement or giving you room to make a change.

Before completion, make time for one more conversation: how will your lawyer or notary confirm the instructions for paying out your sale proceeds?

Email fraud can target the people handling a transaction as well as the homeowner. A message that appears to come from you could direct money to somebody else's account. My suggestion is to agree on the verification process early, while nobody is rushing to meet a deadline.

Why this deserves attention now

On November 2, 2026, BC Financial Services Authority encouraged consumers to report fraud and cybercrime through the Maple Disruption 2.0 initiative. November is also Financial Literacy Month, and this year's federal campaign encourages open conversations about fraud.

For a Kelowna seller, that is a useful prompt to discuss the closing process. Neither announcement establishes that home-sale fraud is increasing locally. The practical concern is that a large payment deserves a verification method you understand.

How a convincing email can redirect money

A criminal may impersonate a client or professional, or gain access to an email account, then use the conversation to send believable payment instructions. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security describes how impersonation is used to redirect payments and recommends checking unusual financial requests through another communication channel.

The Lawyers Indemnity Fund described a particularly troubling version of this fraud, highlighted in the Law Society's February 2026 E-Brief: criminals fabricated confirmation that payment instructions had already been checked. Those examples involved Vancouver law firms and litigation settlements, not Kelowna home sales. They illustrate why a reassuring email can still be unreliable.

The key lesson is to verify payment instructions through a separate, trusted contact route. Replying to the same email, or calling a number supplied in it, may simply lead back to the fraudster.

Agree on the process before completion

Ask your conveyancing lawyer or notary how they want to receive your banking details and how they will verify them. Use the secure method their office establishes with you.

I would put these questions on the list:

  • How will you confirm my payment instructions? Ask what verification to expect before your proceeds are disbursed.
  • What happens if an instruction changes? Agree on how a change will be checked, including one that appears to come from your email account.
  • Which telephone number should I use? Establish a trusted contact number independently of any payment message and save it.
  • When will you need to reach me? Make sure the office has your current details and knows if travel or moving arrangements will make you difficult to contact.

These are preparation questions, not instructions to replace the professional's own controls. If you are selling in Kelowna while living elsewhere, or buying your next home at the same time, bring that timing into the discussion.

Watercolour of a homeowner making a verification phone call while reviewing a document.
Use a contact number established independently of the payment email. AI-generated editorial illustration; the person is fictional.

Do not let urgency replace verification

Imagine receiving a message saying the office's banking details have changed and a payment must be sent immediately. Or imagine your lawyer receiving an email, apparently from you, asking for your proceeds to go to a different account.

Both are hypothetical examples. In either situation, pause the requested action and contact the office through your established channel. Even an initial instruction should be verified; fraud does not always begin with a last-minute change.

The Law Society's July 2025 guidance warns that familiar clues such as spelling mistakes or changed instructions may be absent. A professional-looking message is not enough to establish where money should go.

Protect your email account too. The Lawyers Indemnity Fund recommends strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication. Those precautions reduce risk, but payment instructions still need their own verification.

If you suspect something has gone wrong

Act promptly, even if you are still working out exactly what happened.

  1. Alert your lawyer or notary and the bank immediately. Use trusted contact channels. Contact the institution that sent the money, or ask your lawyer or notary to contact theirs. Ask whether the payment can be stopped or recalled, as the Law Society recommends. Recovery is not guaranteed.
  2. Report suspected fraud to local police. BCFSA also directs consumers to Report Cybercrime and Fraud or 1-888-495-8501. A concern involving a BCFSA-regulated provider can also be reported to BCFSA.
  3. Keep the evidence. Save messages, transaction records and related documents. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's victim guidance explains the reporting steps and warns that victims can be approached again by people promising to recover their money.

There is no benefit in letting embarrassment delay a call. A convincing scam can catch capable people, particularly during a busy move.

Make this part of your selling plan

Preparing to sell involves more than choosing a price and arranging showings. Include a short conversation with your lawyer or notary about how the money will be handled and how instructions will be verified.

My role is to help you prepare for the sale and identify questions that belong with the appropriate professional. Contact me to discuss your Kelowna selling plans.

Related reading: Selling Your Kelowna Home? Get the Property Disclosure Right. Explore more seller guidance.

All for now,
Michael

Sources and further reading

General fraud-awareness information, not legal or banking advice. Confirm payment procedures with your lawyer or notary and financial institution. Recovery is not guaranteed. Sources checked November 4, 2026. *Personal Real Estate Corporation