I was a first-time homebuyer and got scammed out of $167,000 of my life savings

• Pat and Marisa Lawlor were the victims of real estate wire fraud in 2022.
• The couple lost their $167,000 downpayment for their first home because of a fake email.
• They've dedicated their time since to educating other first-time homebuyers. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with 49-year-old Los Angeles-based business owner Pat Lawlor. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My wife Marisa and I were stoked when a seller accepted our offer on their home after we were outbid at three other places.

But three weeks later I ended up wiring our $167,000 downpayment to criminals pretending to be my escrow office.