Hackers are obtaining email passwords and impersonating property buyers and routing deposits on properties to alternative accounts. They then remove the cash and close the accounts leaving buyers out of pocket large amounts of cash. And because the scammers are usually in countries with very weak rule of law, the authorities are powerless to do anything.
How big is this problem?
The FBI estimates that USD26 Billion has been lost over the past 3 years alone.
I personally experienced this a few years ago when selling a property in Bali. A scammer obtained my email details because of a massive hack of user details on a major financial news site that I had registered with (that I was not aware of).. they waited patiently for their opportunity and the morning that the purchaser was to make a deposit they stepped in and changing the banking instructions. Fortunately he called me to confirm the change and we avoided disaster.
I have since put an authenticator on my email so that if anyone tries to log in nefariously, they need a code that changes every 30 seconds and appears only on my mobile phone. This stops them in their tracks.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/05/homebuyers-are-falling-for-this-scam-some-lose-their-life-savings.html