UK homebuyers are being warned to independently verify solicitor bank details before transferring deposits or completion money as criminals use convincing fake emails to redirect property payments into accounts they control.
The scam, commonly called āFriday afternoon fraudā or conveyancing fraud, can involve criminals compromising an email account or impersonating a solicitor or estate agent just when a buyer is expecting to send a large sum.
Report Fraud recorded 3,657 scams involving people being persuaded to pay money into the wrong bank account during the 2025-26 financial year, with combined losses of about Ā£101 million.
How does Friday afternoon fraud work?
Criminals may gain access to a buyer’s email through phishing and monitor conversations about a property transaction. Alternatively, they can create an email address that closely resembles the genuine address of a solicitor or estate agent.
The fraudulent message may arrive when a deposit or completion payment is expected. It can provide different bank details, request payment earlier than anticipated or claim the money must be transferred urgently.
A spoofed address might differ by only a missing letter, extra character or punctuation mark. If a genuine email account has been compromised, however, the fraudulent message can be much harder to identify.
An unexpected claim that a solicitor has changed bank details should always be independently verified before money is sent.
Why is it called Friday afternoon fraud?
The name reflects the timing of many property completions rather than meaning the scam happens only on Fridays. Transactions often reach their final stage near the end of the working week, when buyers may already expect instructions for a large transfer.
The combination of an expected payment and pressure to complete before the weekend can make a fraudulent request appear convincing.
Property victims have lost an average Ā£78,393
Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, Report Fraud recorded 140 property-related cases, with an average loss of Ā£78,393.
In one previously reported case, a homebuyer transferred an entire Ā£300,000 purchase price to the wrong account. Property transactions are particularly attractive to criminals because one successful diversion can involve a life-changing amount of money.
The tactics resemble other forms of impersonation fraud. A Nationwide warning over sophisticated scam calls highlighted how criminals can use spoofed contact details, convincing scripts and urgency to make fraudulent communications appear genuine.
Renters and probate transactions can also be targeted
The threat is not limited to people purchasing homes. City of London Police has warned that similar fraud has affected renters who believed they were paying legitimate letting agents, while payment diversion has also been reported in probate transactions.
The common feature is an expected financial transaction that gives criminals an opportunity to impersonate someone the victim already intends to pay.
What should buyers check before transferring money?
Buyers should obtain their solicitor’s bank details through a trusted channel and independently confirm them before making a large transfer. If checking by telephone, use a previously verified number rather than contact details contained in an unexpected email.
Buyers should also take Confirmation of Payee warnings seriously. If the recipient name does not match the expected account holder, stop the transfer and investigate instead of overriding the warning.
The wider fraud threat is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Aviva’s record Ā£233 million insurance fraud detection highlighted the growing use of AI-generated material, manipulated documents and other digital techniques in UK financial fraud.
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Protect your email and personal information
Homebuyers should secure their email with a strong, unique password and two-factor authentication. They should avoid using unsecured public Wi-Fi for sensitive property emails and be cautious about publicly announcing an impending move on social media, which could help criminals identify potential targets.
Would your bank refund the money?
Some cases may qualify for the UK’s Authorised Push Payment (APP) scam reimbursement protections. Mandatory protections have applied to qualifying payments since 7 October 2024.
The Payment Systems Regulator’s APP scam reimbursement data shows that during the first 18 months of the regime, 88% ā Ā£316 million ā of money lost in reimbursable APP scam claims was returned to victims.
However, the mandatory reimbursement maximum is generally Ā£85,000 per claim. Payment providers can choose to reimburse more, but that limit is particularly important for property transactions where deposits or completion payments can exceed Ā£85,000.
What if you have already sent the money?
Anyone who discovers they may have transferred money to a fraudulent account should contact their bank or payment provider immediately. They should also contact their genuine solicitor independently, preserve suspicious emails and transfer records, and report the incident through the appropriate police or fraud-reporting service.
Before sending property money, unexpected changes to bank details, recipient-name mismatches and sudden pressure to pay should all be treated as warning signs. Independently confirming the account before pressing āsendā could protect a deposit worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds.
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