Buying Property in Punta Cana: Verify Bank Instructions Before Paying

Identify who may receive the particular payment

Match the proposed payment to the exact property, agreement, amount, currency, purpose and contractual recipient. Distinguish the seller, project company, trustee, lawyer, lender and any representative. Ask your independent lawyer to establish who is authorised to receive the money and how payment to that party is credited or applied under the transaction. A legitimate organisation may still be the wrong recipient for this payment.

Investigate unexplained differences between the agreement and account holder. A third party or several recipients may require a documented explanation and an agreed arrangement; do not decide legitimacy from a name alone. An account described as escrow, a lawyer’s client account or a fideicomiso account does not by its label establish segregation, restricted release or repayment protection. Check the actual custody, authority and release terms separately. The same questions apply to a condo, villa or plot in Bávaro, Cap Cana or another area; the address is not a payment safeguard.

• Check reservation terms before sending a deposit
• Trace recipients and releases in a fideicomiso

Establish a verification channel independently

Before funds are due, agree how you will confirm instructions with the relevant parties and your bank. Establish the contact independently of the message containing the bank details. For a callback, use a number already independently verified, not a replacement number in the instructions or a forwarded screenshot. Confirm the appropriate payment fields and account instructions through the agreed process. A reply in the same email thread or WhatsApp conversation is not a separate check.

Keep identity, authority and payment checks distinct. A representative who can attend a viewing is not automatically authorised to receive funds or change a payment arrangement. Ask counsel to explain the relevant powers and documents. Use appropriate secure channels for financial records and identification requested by the bank or lawyer. Never disclose passwords, one-time authentication codes or remote access to your device to someone asking to verify a property payment.

• Clarify representation and payment controls for a remote purchase

Recheck changed bank instructions before acting

Treat a new account, recipient, contact person or payment route as something to verify again, even when a message contains correct property details or appears in a familiar conversation. Ask why the change is needed, who authorised it and what documentation supports it. Re-establish contact through your independently verified channel rather than clicking a link, scanning a code or calling a number supplied in the change request. A convincing message or successful earlier payment does not authenticate a later instruction.

Illustrative situation, not an account of a real project: a buyer expecting a construction instalment receives a message saying the project now uses another account. Record the change as unverified until the relevant checks are completed. Confirm the instruction’s authenticity and the new recipient’s authority separately, then ask counsel whether the payment arrangement or documents need updating. The worksheet entries below are illustrative prompts, not completed verification or findings about an actual transaction.

Separate payment checks from contractual obligations

Genuine account details do not establish that a payment is due, that a construction milestone has been met or that title and release conditions are satisfied. Ask counsel to review the payment trigger and supporting evidence separately. Where a lender is being paid to release a seller’s mortgage, reconcile the creditor, payment allocation and release process for the particular property; do not substitute a generic transfer checklist for that closing arrangement.

An unresolved or suspicious instruction is not, by itself, a legal conclusion about your right to delay payment, cancel or recover money. Contact your bank and independent lawyer promptly, explain the deadline and ask what verification, written clarification or agreed extension is appropriate. Confirm the contractual currency, charges, source-of-funds documents and bank processing requirements in advance. Do not promise a universal transfer time, standard fee or automatic protection from a small test payment.

• Prepare currency, transfer costs and source-of-funds records
• Check payments and releases for the seller’s mortgage

Keep evidence and respond promptly to suspected fraud

Keep a private dated file of the contract version, payment instruction, verification steps, people contacted, unresolved questions and any transaction reference. Record what was actually confirmed and by whom; do not turn an unanswered question into approval. Preserve suspicious messages and attachments for appropriate professional review without forwarding sensitive information through public forms or opening suspicious links.

If you suspect that an initiated payment was redirected or fraudulent, contact your sending bank immediately using its independently verified official channel. Explain what happened and ask what stop, recall or other response may be available for the actual transfer. Notify your independent lawyer and discuss appropriate reporting with the bank and relevant authorities. Timing matters, but no fixed recovery window or guarantee applies here. Be wary of anyone promising recovery in exchange for another payment; do not send further money on that promise.

Prepare the purchase with the right advisers

Before the next commitment, identify who reviews the legal arrangement, who confirms payment instructions and how your bank handles the transfer. Agree the professional scope and retain the evidence privately. Bank processing, receipt of funds, contractual payment credit and ownership registration are different events. A transfer receipt does not establish that the purchase is complete or that the intended legal protection exists.

Still comparing properties? Share your budget, intended use and timing with Cana Keys to plan a property tour around your shortlist. Cana Keys acts as a real estate broker and normally receives commission from the seller. Appoint independent legal and financial advisers separately. A viewing or brokerage conversation does not certify bank details, authorise a transfer, provide escrow or promise recovery of funds. Do not submit bank instructions, identity documents, passwords or authentication codes through the tour enquiry form.

• Plan a property tour around your shortlist