Conveyancing 'Friday afternoon fraud' sees homebuyers transfer deposits to criminals posing as their solicitor

What is this scam?

Which? and Lloyds Bank issued a September 2026 warning about a resurgence in conveyancing fraud — also called 'Friday afternoon fraud' — in which criminals intercept email chains between a buyer and their solicitor and substitute genuine bank details with their own just before completion. Because the fraudulent message arrives within an existing email thread from a convincing spoofed address, victims transfer life savings and deposits to fraudsters believing they are completing a legitimate property purchase. Report Fraud recorded 140 property fraud cases in the year to March 2025, with an average loss of £78,393; 2026 figures are expected to be significantly higher.

Example scam message

Red flags to look out for

• The message creates urgency — threatening a fine, missed delivery, or account closure.
• Links lead to unofficial domains that don't match the real company's website.
• You weren't expecting this message and can't verify the event it references.
• It asks you to confirm payment details or personal information via a link.
• The sender's number or email address doesn't match the company's official contact.

What to do if you receive this

1. Do not transfer money — your bank will never ask you to move funds to a 'safe account'.
2. Hang up and call your bank directly on the number printed on the back of your card.
3. Report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk.
4. If you've already transferred money, contact your bank immediately and ask about the APP fraud refund scheme.