Wire Fraud Warning
A changed wire instruction is a fire alarm—not a convenience.
Sterling Machinery Auctions LLC will never unexpectedly email, text or call to change payment instructions. Stop and verify any banking request before sending funds.
What you should know
- Call a previously known Sterling number
- Do not trust caller ID or reply-to addresses
- Compare beneficiary name with the invoice
- Report suspicious messages immediately
Direct answer
If any message changes wire instructions, bank name, beneficiary or payment destination, do not send money. Call Sterling Machinery Auctions LLC at 626-444-0311 using a number obtained independently. Business email compromise can copy real invoices, signatures and conversation history; a familiar-looking email is not proof.
Last updated: July 14, 2026
How wire fraud usually works
Impersonation
A familiar name appears
The attacker spoofs or compromises a seller, auction, employee, bank, rigger or buyer email account.
Timing
The message arrives at payment time
Fraudsters watch conversations and insert revised instructions when urgency is highest.
Change
Banking details suddenly move
The message claims an account is closed, under review or changed for convenience.
Pressure
Verification is discouraged
The sender pushes secrecy, speed, an unusual phone number or instructions not to contact the normal person.
Similarity
The fake looks almost perfect
Logos, signatures, invoice numbers and prior messages may be copied. One letter in a domain can be the only visible clue.
Finality
Wires can be difficult to recover
Once funds move through other accounts or jurisdictions, recovery may be impossible. Prevention is the strongest control.
Sterling payment-security rules
- We do not unexpectedly change payment instructions. Treat any claimed change as suspicious.
- Verify by voice using a known number. Call 626-444-0311 or another number you independently recorded before the payment request.
- Verify the receiving entity. The beneficiary should match the responsible entity identified in the official invoice or sale documents.
- Use dual approval for business wires. One person initiates; another independently verifies and approves.
- Do not trust reply, forwarding or caller ID. Compromised accounts and spoofed numbers can make an attacker appear inside a real conversation.
- Confirm receipt before releasing or dispatching. Buyers, sellers and movers should wait for authorized confirmation.
Red flags that require a stop
- New bank, account number, routing number, beneficiary or country.
- Payment to an individual, unrelated company, cryptocurrency wallet or nonstandard service.
- Spelling changes in the domain or a reply-to address different from the sender.
- Urgent secrecy, after-hours pressure or a reason not to call the normal number.
- A request to split funds or send a “test” transfer.
- An attachment or link that asks you to sign in again before viewing instructions.
If a suspicious message arrives
- Do not reply, click or call the supplied number.
- Open a new communication. Call Sterling at 626-444-0311 from your own records or the public website.
- Read back the beneficiary and bank details. Do not merely ask, “Are these instructions right?”
- Forward the suspicious message only after contacting Sterling. Preserve full headers if possible.
- If funds were sent, call the bank immediately. Request the fraud/wire department, recall and account hold; then report the incident.
Related auction resources
Use these pages to continue without starting over.
Frequently asked questions
Will Sterling ever change wire instructions by email?
Sterling will not unexpectedly email, text or call to change payment instructions. Any claimed change must be treated as suspicious and independently verified.
Is replying to the same email thread safe?
No. An attacker may control the real account or insert a lookalike address into an existing thread. Start a separate call using a known number.
Is caller ID reliable verification?
No. Caller ID can be spoofed. Call back using a number you obtained independently.
What should I verify during the call?
Verify auction, invoice, exact amount, beneficiary legal name, bank name, routing details, account ending and reference instructions.
What should I do after sending a fraudulent wire?
Call the bank immediately, request recall or freeze action, notify Sterling through a known channel, preserve evidence and report to appropriate authorities. Speed matters.
Stop and verify before sending funds.
A two-minute verification call can prevent a permanent loss. Use a known Sterling Machinery Auctions LLC phone number—not contact information supplied in a suspicious message.
