Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve been the victim of wire transfer fraud in California, a skilled attorney can be instrumental in helping you recover your lost funds. Wire transfer fraud often involves sophisticated schemes, including phishing, business email compromise (BEC), or impersonation scams, and recovering money can be a complex process. A wire transfer fraud lawyer will first… [Read More]

Recognizing the warning signs of wire transfer fraud can help you avoid becoming a victim. Many schemes begin with some form of social engineering, where fraudsters pretend to be someone you trust—like a real estate agent, attorney, escrow officer, or bank representative. A sudden change in wiring instructions via email or text, especially involving urgency… [Read More]

In some cases, yes—you may be able to sue a bank, escrow company, or another third party if their negligence contributed to your loss through wire transfer fraud. Under California law, financial institutions and real estate professionals have a duty to implement security measures and adhere to industry standards to protect client funds and personal… [Read More]

The timeframe to file a lawsuit for wire transfer fraud in California—known as the statute of limitations—depends on the nature of your claim. In most cases involving fraud, California law provides a three-year statute of limitations, starting from the date you discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the fraud. However, certain claims, such as negligence… [Read More]

Real estate transactions are one of the most common targets for wire transfer fraud in California due to the large sums of money being transferred and the involvement of multiple parties, such as buyers, sellers, real estate agents, and escrow officers. One of the most prevalent schemes is the “business email compromise” (BEC), where hackers… [Read More]

Yes, in some cases you may be able to sue your bank if they failed to detect or prevent a fraudulent bank transfer in California. Financial institutions have a duty to implement safeguards and monitor for suspicious activity, particularly when it involves unusual or unauthorized transfers. If your bank ignored red flags, failed to follow… [Read More]

Bank transfer fraud typically involves unauthorized transactions from your account—either through account hacking, phishing schemes, or social engineering. Criminals may gain access to your online banking credentials or trick you into transferring money to a fraudulent account. In other cases, fraudsters impersonate bank representatives or vendors and convince victims to authorize the transfer themselves under… [Read More]

If you are the victim of bank transfer fraud, collecting and preserving evidence is essential to building a strong legal case. Start by gathering all communications related to the fraudulent transaction, including emails, text messages, phone call logs, and screenshots. Save bank statements and transaction history that show the fraudulent transfers, and take note of… [Read More]

Victims of unauthorized bank transfers in California are protected under both state and federal laws. One of the primary protections comes from the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA), which provides consumers with certain rights when unauthorized or fraudulent electronic transfers occur. This law requires financial institutions to investigate disputes promptly and, in many cases, reimburse… [Read More]

Under federal law, specifically the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA), you generally have 60 days from the date the fraudulent transaction appears on your bank statement to report the unauthorized transfer to your financial institution. If you report within this window, the bank is obligated to investigate and may be required to reimburse your losses,… [Read More]