Stage 7: How do you sign and transfer money safely?
Treat payment verification as a separate approval, even when the yacht and broker are familiar. The FBI recommends independently checking payment requests and account changes, using contact details obtained outside the suspicious message. (fbi.gov)
Use this payment procedure:
- Match the final agreement to the approved yacht, dates, charges and special conditions.
- Confirm required signatures and outstanding conditions with the transaction team.
- Complete required identity checks through the agreed secure channel.
- Reconcile the invoice, beneficiary and account role with the agreement.
- Call a previously verified contact on an independently sourced number; confirm the complete instructions.
- Record the callback, approver, amount, currency and due date.
- Send funds with sufficient allowance for the bank’s process and obtain confirmation of receipt.
For a changed account, stop and repeat verification. Do not rely on a reply within the same email chain, an urgent WhatsApp message or a PDF bearing a familiar logo.
A beneficiary different from the yacht owner is a reason to investigate, not automatically proof of fraud: require an explanation of the broker/stakeholder arrangement and have any mismatch resolved before payment.
Ask your lawyer what protections the receiving arrangement actually provides. Do not assume the words “client account” or “escrow” answer questions about release conditions, insolvency or disputes.
If you suspect a fraudulent transfer, contact your bank immediately and report through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center; the FBI advises prompt bank contact when business-email compromise is discovered. (fbi.gov)
Output: executed documents, payment evidence and a verified receipt.
Do not proceed if: pressure to meet an option deadline is being used to bypass payment controls.