Confirm the payment obligation with your independent adviser, verify the intended beneficiary through a separately established contact route, and recheck every change. A familiar email thread or a successful transfer does not establish ownership rights or prove the recipient was authorised.
Before you buy property in Marsa Alam, separate two checks
First establish the proposed payment obligation: the property, payment stage, amount, currency, recipient and relevant document. Ask your independent lawyer to clarify who is entitled to receive the money and how payment should be evidenced. Then authenticate the instructions used to send it. These are different checks. An account can be genuine while the person requesting payment lacks the authority you need confirmed.
The FBI’s business-email-compromise guidance includes fraudulent instructions sent to a homebuyer. Its lesson is about communication security, not Egyptian property law. As you prepare to buy property in Marsa Alam, keep your document review alongside your transfer verification. Start with our guide to identifying the property behind the offer, then create a separate payment note for the exact transaction you are considering.
Agree how instructions will be confirmed
Before a payment is due, establish a contact route independently of any later request to change details. The FBI’s real-estate-fraud guidance recommends confirming transfers through a previously stored number, or another verification method outside the email conversation. Calling a new number printed in the same questionable message would leave you relying on that message again.
Use the conversation to confirm the intended recipient, payment purpose and complete instructions through the agreed secure process. Record the date, the person contacted and the route used. If a representative cannot explain their role or redirects you to another unfamiliar person, resolve that gap before authorising the transfer. Allow time for this exchange when your bank, adviser and seller work different hours.
Treat a revised destination as a fresh request
Imagine receiving a polished message shortly before an instalment: the usual account is unavailable, and a replacement must be used today. Do not treat its timing or appearance as confirmation. In a 9 March 2026 alert about US permit-fee impersonation, the FBI describes messages containing accurate property details and professional presentation. That alert concerns a US scam; it is not evidence of a particular Marsa Alam incident.
The practical lesson is to authenticate the sender even when the surrounding information looks correct. Ask the established contact to explain the change and provide the appropriate written instruction. Compare the revised beneficiary with the contractual payment arrangement through your adviser. Resolve discrepancies rather than assuming a trading name, personal name or different organisation is interchangeable.
Keep banking authentication in your hands
The Central Bank of Egypt’s 16 October 2024 warning cautions against impersonation through calls, messages and links, and stresses the confidentiality of banking credentials, including one-time passwords. A property coordinator does not need your banking login, card PIN or transaction approval code to help organise your purchase. Enter authentication details only within your bank’s legitimate secure process.
Prepare the transfer through your normal banking channel and review the final payment screen carefully. Ask your bank directly about any beneficiary-name warning, unfamiliar field or transfer restriction. Keep sensitive records in a restricted folder, separate from general viewing photographs and group chats. Share the evidence required by your advisers through an agreed secure route, with unnecessary personal information removed where appropriate.
Reconcile the payment and know who to call
After an authorised payment, retain the bank reference and seek the agreed acknowledgement from the intended recipient. Connect both to the property and payment stage in your records. A screenshot from another person is not the same as confirmation from your own bank. Ask your adviser how the receipt should fit into the purchase file; do not infer ownership or completion from the transfer alone.
If you suspect money was diverted, contact your sending bank immediately through its official channel. IC3’s incident guidance recommends prompt contact to request recall or reversal. Ask the bank what response and reporting steps apply, preserve the messages and transfer evidence, and contact the relevant authorities. Recovery is not guaranteed; do not wait for the questionable sender to explain the situation.
Turn the details into a decision
| Question | Evidence to establish |
|---|---|
| What is due? | The relevant agreement and payment stage. |
| Who should receive it? | Authority clarified with your independent adviser. |
| Are these instructions genuine? | Confirmation through the independently established channel. |
| What happened afterwards? | Bank reference and the agreed recipient acknowledgement. |
Bring a clear brief to your viewing
- Identify the exact payment stage and currency.
- Clarify the authorised recipient with your adviser.
- Establish a separate verification route early.
- Recheck every change to payment instructions.
- Keep passwords and approval codes private.
- Retain the bank reference and recipient acknowledgement.