Columbus, OH – October 19, 2026 – Sabre Cybersecurity & IT Services, a Columbus-based managed IT and cybersecurity provider, recently helped prevent an attempted wire fraud tied to a Central Ohio real estate closing after an attacker impersonated a title company executive and sent fraudulent wiring instructions on the day funds were scheduled to move.
Sabre Cybersecurity LLC (Sabre IT), a Columbus, Ohio managed IT and cybersecurity provider protecting businesses in regulated industries since 2002.
The attacker used a lookalike email domain and appeared to have detailed knowledge of the transaction, including the closing date and expected wire timing. The transfer was stopped after the client independently called to verify the instructions before releasing funds.
According to Sabre, the incident reflects a growing challenge for businesses: cybercriminals are increasingly targeting people and organizations surrounding a transaction rather than attacking the primary company directly.
“Businesses have spent years strengthening their own networks, but attackers are adapting,” said Jake McCann, founder and president of Sabre Cybersecurity and co-author of Cyber Attack Prevention. “The risk now extends to every customer, vendor, employee, and outside party involved in moving information or money.”
Sabre saw that risk play out in a separate 2026 case, when one compromised employee email account was used to send approximately 525 phishing emails to outside contacts in a single day before the company contained the account.
Artificial intelligence is making fraud attempts more polished, personalized, and difficult to distinguish from legitimate business communication. Combined with stolen credentials or access to a compromised account, AI can remove many of the warning signs businesses once relied on.
McCann said antivirus alone is no longer sufficient because many modern attacks bypass malware entirely and instead exploit compromised accounts, impersonation, and trusted business relationships. Layered security and independent verification are now baseline requirements for organizations handling sensitive information or financial transactions.
The scale of the threat is reflected in federal data. The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report recorded $20.9 billion in reported cybercrime losses, up 26% from 2024. Business email compromise accounted for more than $3 billion in losses, while AI-related crime generated 22,364 complaints and approximately $893 million in reported losses.
Every wire transfer should be independently verified by phone using a known, trusted number, McCann said. Businesses should also treat every party connected to a financial transaction as potentially compromised, regardless of how legitimate an email appears.
“Trust can no longer be based on the fact that a message came from the right name, company, or email thread,” McCann said. “When money is moving, verification has to happen outside the message itself.”
Businesses can learn more about strengthening their cybersecurity and fraud-prevention controls at sabreitservices.com and sabrecybersecurity.com.
About Sabre Cybersecurity
Sabre Cybersecurity LLC, doing business as Sabre IT, is a Columbus, Ohio managed IT and cybersecurity provider established in 2002. The company serves more than 100 clients, including organizations in regulated industries such as healthcare, financial services, title and mortgage, and manufacturing. Sabre provides managed IT, cybersecurity, monitoring, and advisory services to help businesses reduce technology risk and strengthen their security operations.
Media ContactCompany Name: Sabre CybersecurityContact Person: Jake McCannEmail: Send EmailPhone: 614-683-0060Country: United StatesWebsite: https://sabreitservices.com/
