The answer

Stop. Do not reply, click, pay or call a number supplied only in the changed message. Independently contact the designated trustee, lawyer, brokerage, landlord or other legitimate payee using a trusted number already on file or an official directory, confirm the payee, purpose, amount and method, and document the verification. Treat urgency and familiar thread details as risk, not authentication.

Calgary-specific context

RECA warns that fraudsters can intercept or mimic active real estate email threads and redirect deposits.

What to do next

If payment was attempted or sent, contact the financial institution's official fraud channel immediately and preserve the original message and receipt.

Related guides

Identity, title, deposit, wire, listing, rental, signing, and incident-response guideCalgary Real Estate Fraud and Scam ProtectionA source-linked Calgary fraud-safety system for buyers, sellers, renters, landlords, homeowners, investors, families, and remote clients. Prevent or respond to impersonation, changed deposit or wire instructions, fake listings, rental deposits, title and mortgage fraud, straw-buyer pressure, identity theft, account compromise, remote-signing manipulation, unsafe access, foreclosure rescue and recovery scams through trusted verification, evidence preservation, rapid financial response, qualified legal advice, police and official reporting, credit protection, and transaction fallbacks.Decision playbookCalgary Real Estate Fraud Safety and Incident-Response PlaybookCalgary Real Estate Fraud Safety and Incident-Response Playbook for Calgary buyers, sellers, renters, landlords, homeowners, investors, families, seniors, remote clients, and transaction participants preventing or responding to identity, money, title, listing, access, signing, or recovery fraud: Choose prevent, stop, independently verify, freeze or recall funds, secure accounts and devices, notify trusted professionals, preserve evidence, report, obtain legal advice, monitor, revise the transaction, protect physical safety, or refuse further contact.Interactive toolCalgary Real Estate Fraud Safety and Incident PlannerSeparate prevention, suspicious contact, attempted fraud, completed payment, identity exposure, unauthorized title or credit activity, and immediate safety emergencies; then build the fastest trusted response without sharing secrets.

Verify before relying

Official sources for this topic

These sources explain the rules and records relevant to this topic. Check the current requirements for your property.

RECA deposit fraud warningCurrent regulator warning to independently verify unexpected or changed real estate deposit instructions through trusted channels.RECA ProCheckOfficial public lookup for the licensing status and authorization of Alberta real estate, mortgage, property-management, and condominium-management professionals.RECA consumer informationAlberta real estate consumer guidance.Canada fraud and scam protectionCurrent federal fraud, identity theft, online threat, real estate fraud, reporting, and financial-information protection hub.Canadian Anti-Fraud CentreOfficial national fraud and identity-theft intelligence, prevention, victim-response, and reporting hub.Alberta mortgage fraud and foreclosure scamsOfficial Alberta warning about foreclosure rescue schemes, title-transfer pressure, upfront fees, and mortgage fraud reporting.Alberta Special Investigations UnitOfficial Alberta registry and Land Titles fraud investigation mandate and contact pathway.Alberta Land Titles assurance claimsOfficial Alberta information about complex claims involving registered interests lost through registrar error or fraudulent Land Titles activity.Alberta land title overviewCurrent official Alberta explanation of title ownership and registered mortgages, caveats, liens, and other interests.FINTRAC real estate identity verificationCurrent real-estate-sector identity-verification triggers for clients and people or entities providing funds.FINTRAC identity and source-of-funds methodsCurrent federal identity methods and definitions distinguishing source of funds, source of wealth, and transfer origin.FCAC credit report fraud checksCurrent federal guidance for detecting identity fraud, correcting credit-report errors, fraud alerts, and monitoring.Calgary Police rental scam warningCalgary Police warning about fake rental listings, advance deposits, authority verification, property viewing, and reporting.Law Society of Alberta lawyer directoryOfficial Alberta directory for checking lawyer status and searching by location, practice area, language, and other criteria.

Check the current information at the linked source. Ask the appropriate professional how it applies to your property.

Important

This is general information, not legal advice. Speak with a qualified lawyer about your specific situation.

RELATED GUIDES / Buying & financing

Check your financing for the specific property.

A pre-approval is not final financing. Confirm the property, appraisal, insurer, cash to close and lender conditions before deciding whether to remove a financing condition. A planning score cannot authorize a purchase.

Official verification: FCAC: getting pre-approved for a mortgage ↗

Affiliated network resources provide context. Confirm rules, approvals and property records with the responsible authority.