Coffee with a Founder Podcast: Andy White of Closinglock

24- Jul-2025

On today's episode, Beck Bamberger sits down with Andy White, founder and CEO of Closinglock. After a personal encounter with wire fraud and a push from his wife’s work in real estate, Andy jumped from engineering and machine learning to launch a company focused on securing the home closing process. He talks about the complex (and sneaky) nature of wiring scams, what consumers should be aware of during home closings, and how his tech pivot was driven by both personal experience and curiosity.

If you’ve ever worried about wire fraud, navigated the chaos of buying a home, or wondered how AI is affecting cybersecurity, this episode is a must-listen.

show notes:

00:58 – The founder’s optimistic mindset

03:01 – The eye-opening wire fraud incident

5:46 – Understanding the industry-wide problem

08:32 – How wire fraud happens and Closinglock’s solution

10:09 – Navigating recruitment in a tech-driven world

15:00 – The future of AI, fraud, and real estate

Read More About The Episode:

00:58 – The founder’s optimistic mindset

Andy White discusses the two-sentence philosophy on his LinkedIn: “I think almost everything is possible and I am not afraid to put in the hard work to make it happen.” He reflects on his optimism, creative problem-solving style, and why he values thinking inside the box for practical solutions.

03:01 – The eye-opening wire fraud incident
Andy recounts the moment his wife, a real estate professional, told him about a client who nearly lost their life savings to a wire fraud scam. He describes the shock of realizing he had narrowly avoided the same fate himself, which sparked the idea to develop a safer method for handling real estate transactions.

5:46 – Understanding the industry-wide problem
Andy and Beck discuss the widespread nature of wire fraud in real estate, with hundreds of millions of dollars lost annually, according to FBI reports. Andy emphasizes that the reported figures are only the tip of the iceberg, and nearly every title company has a close call or loss story.

08:32 – How wire fraud happens and Closinglock’s solution

Andy describes the sophisticated techniques fraudsters use, from spoofed emails to voice calls that sound authentic. He offers practical advice for homebuyers and explains how Closinglock provides a secure alternative to traditional, vulnerable processes.

10:09 – Navigating recruitment in a tech-driven world
The conversation shifts to the company’s current challenges, particularly those related to hiring. Andy discusses maintaining a personal, in-office culture in a world dominated by AI-driven hiring tools, sharing memorable anecdotes about candidate screening and the importance of conducting thorough research before interviews.

15:00 – The future of AI, fraud, and real estate
Andy shares his take on how AI and automation will revolutionize the real estate transaction, making processes more streamlined and less vulnerable to fraud. They round out the conversation, discussing why the problem remains critical and what is motivating them in building a business that directly protects people’s life savings.