Same for me a year ago, and they called early in the morning on the day of closing to repeat the warning. It wasn't even mentioned when I closed on a house seven years ago.

I tend to phone people I'm making transfers to, where they've emailed or otherwise electronically sent the sort code and account number, to verify. Adds a couple of minutes, but could save tens of thousands.

This is possible because the telephone network is (more) secured, in the same way email and other forms could be, but aren’t.

Similar, my old and jaded real estate agent said "don't trust this computer shit, call me or call the loan people on anything involving money or signing something"

Likewise. Ours instructed us to look up the title agency in the phone book, call that number, and verify the wire details before we did it.