For conveyancers and solicitors, one of the most dangerous emails in a client’s inbox may be the one that appears to have come from you. Property transactions are increasingly being targeted by impersonation scams and payment re-direction fraud, with criminals exploiting trusted brands, compromised email accounts, publicly available information and knowledge of settlement processes to steal large sums of money.

The financial cost for the client can be devastating and the reputational damage to the firm can be disastrous. The National Anti-Scam Centre reported $166.8 million in losses from payment re-direction scams in Australia in 2025, making it one of the country’s highest loss scam categories.

In one case, a Sydney first-home buyer lost $109,000 after receiving an email impersonating his conveyancer, including a fraudulent PEXA form and instructions for transferring his deposit. In another case a Gold Coast family was targeted with emails impersonating their conveyancer and transferred more than $250,000. Only about $82,000 was recovered.

For conveyancers and solicitors these high-value scams can quickly become a communications and reputation crisis.

How property impersonation scams work

The objective is to make a client believe they are communicating with someone they already trust.

Criminals can use lookalike email addresses and domains; compromised email accounts; stolen credentials; copied logos and branding; fake websites; fake social media profiles; intercepted email communication; fake documents; and fake payment instructions.

The scammer may know the client’s name, the property address, the expected settlement date, and the names of the people involved in the transaction making it appear legit.

The first line of defence is educating clients before settlement

The strongest crisis response starts before there is a crisis. Clients should be told clearly, preferably in writing, how the firm will communicate payment instructions.

Clients should understand:

Bank account details will not be changed solely by email
Any change to payment instructions should be independently verified
Large or unusual payments should be confirmed using a trusted contact method
Clients should telephone before transferring settlement funds
Sensitive documents should only be exchanged through approved secure channels like that provided through InfoTrack’s Secureexchange
Clients should not rely solely on the contact details in an unexpected email
Suspicious emails, links, or payment instructions should not be opened, clicked, or acted on
Any suspected fraud should be reported to the firm immediately

What happens when prevention fails?

When an impersonation scam occurs, the immediate focus is recovering the money, but a firm’s crisis response must address more than the financial loss. The client is likely to ask: How did this happen? Was my information secure? Who is to blame? What do I do now?

Those questions can quickly escalate into a complaint, professional liability issue, insurance claim, regulatory scrutiny, damaged client relationships, and potentially media attention.

This is where crisis communication becomes critical.

A crisis communication plan for conveyancers and solicitors

Every firm should have a documented crisis response protocol that answers these questions:

Who is responsible for responding?

Nominate the person responsible for activating the crisis response.
Staff should know who takes control when an incident occurs and who has authority to make decisions and speak.

Who is authorised to communicate?

There should be a nominated spokesperson and clear escalation process.
Front office staff should have an approved script to guide them through managing calls from clients and the media. As part of our crisis preparation work our Adoni Media clients are given bespoke scripts and media call logs to record the flow of information.

Who needs to know what and when?

A stakeholder matrix is essential in mapping out who needs to be communicated with in a crisis. It can include the affected client, other clients, business partners, insurers, regulators, law enforcement, the firm’s broader network, and the media should that be necessary.
Each audience usually requires different information and the use of different communication channels.

What will you say?

Good crisis communication includes pre-approved key messages and holding statements.
A holding statement establishes what is known, what is being investigated, and what action is being taken without speculating on facts.
The exact wording is updated when an incident occurs.

How will information be approved?

Establish a chain of responsibility in advance. Who informs, reviews and approves communication?

What happens if the media calls or arrives on site?

Staff should know:

Who is authorised to speak to journalists
What information can be released
How enquiries are escalated
Who is the media spokesperson for interviews (they should be media trained)

Why “no comment” can make a crisis worse

It can feel like the safe and easy option but a “no comment” is a missed opportunity to ensure accurate information is being reported.

A better approach is to have agreed messaging that can be released in a timely manner so other people are not filling the void in a hungry news cycle.

Recovery is part of crisis management

After the incident, a firm should review more than what happened but how did they respond.

For professional services whose business is built on trust, reputation management is something that can be controlled with the right preparation and response plan.

Leisa Goddard

Leisa Goddard is an Australian journalist, media commentator and former foreign and war correspondent with more than 30 years’ experience in television news and current affairs. She reported for Network Ten, Nine and Seven, including on Sunrise and A Current Affair, and served as Network Ten’s US Bureau Chief. Her coverage of the Afghanistan War earned a Logies nomination, and her reporting on social issues received United Nations recognition. She remains a Sky News Australia commentator. As Founder and Managing Director of Adoni Media, she advises CEOs and organisations on crisis communications, media strategy, reputation management and media training.

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