Tuesday, 8:04 AM – New Haven, CT

Attorney Hale poured his first cup of coffee, opened his inbox, and scanned through the usual morning requests—motions to review, upcoming closings, and one flagged message from a long-time real estate client:

“Just wanted to confirm you received the $97,500 for the escrow transfer. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Attorney Hale blinked. The wire wasn’t expected until Friday.

He opened the client’s email thread. There it was—an earlier message from “Attorney Hale” with new wiring instructions. Logo, language, and formatting were perfect. But he hadn’t sent it.

Within an hour, the wire had been confirmed, cleared, and gone—$97,500 lost from the client’s trust account.

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