Conveyancing fraud has emerged as a significant concern for UK property buyers, with criminals targeting email communications between homebuyers and their solicitors or estate agents to divert funds to accounts under their control. The scam typically occurs near the conclusion of a property sale, frequently timed before weekends, earning it the designation “Friday afternoon fraud.”
Reports indicate the scale of the problem has grown substantially. Report Fraud documented 3,657 scams involving misdirected bank account payments during the 2025-26 financial year, resulting in combined losses of £101m across all categories. When focusing specifically on property transactions, the organization recorded 140 cases between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, with an average individual loss of £78,393. In extreme cases, homebuyers have transferred entire purchase prices—reaching £300,000 in one documented instance—to fraudulent accounts.
The fraud mechanism typically involves criminals either gaining unauthorized access to a solicitor’s email system or conducting phishing attacks against homebuyers. Fraudulent messages closely mimic legitimate communications from solicitors or estate agents, often requesting accelerated payment or announcing account changes. While sophisticated attacks may originate from compromised genuine email addresses, most perpetrators employ spoofed addresses containing subtle differences from legitimate ones, such as missing letters or additional punctuation.
City of London Police has noted the scam extends beyond property purchases to rental transactions and probate matters. Authorities recommend homebuyers strengthen email security through strong passwords and two-factor authentication, avoid discussing impending moves on social media, and refrain from accessing email on public wifi networks. Verification of solicitor bank details through direct phone calls or in-person meetings is emphasized as critical. Banks typically flag mismatched account names during transfers, and homebuyers should halt transactions if discrepancies appear and contact their financial institutions immediately if fraudulent transfers occur.
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