---

Title Fraud – What You Need to Know

Today, you hear on the news and in advertising about Title Fraud. Most of us aren’t familiar with what that means. So why am I writing about it here?
I want to give you some insight into what Title Fraud is and how you can protect your home or other real estate investments.

What is Title Fraud?

Title fraud (also called deed fraud or property fraud) happens when someone illegally obtains the title to a property they don’t own by filing forged documents with the county recorder’s office. The fraudster usually impersonates the legitimate property owner by stealing their identity or forging their signature to transfer the property title to themselves or a third party.

Once they gain control of the title, fraudsters can:

• Take out loans using the property as collateral

• Sell the property to unsuspecting buyers

• Drain home equity lines of credit

• Create liens against the property

Title fraud often goes undetected for a long time because property owners usually aren’t notified when documents are filed related to their property. Victims often find out only when they receive unfamiliar mortgage statements, notice suspicious activity on their credit report, or try to sell their property—only to discover someone else is listed as the owner.

How Many People Are Affected?

The exact number of homeowners affected by title fraud is hard to determine because this type of fraud isn’t consistently tracked across all regions.
Available data suggests that less than 1% of homeowners are impacted annually, but the financial consequences can be severe when it happens.

The FBI reports that real estate and mortgage fraud—including title fraud—results in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses each year, with thousands of cases reported in the U.S. annually.

Some property types and owners are more frequently targeted, including:

• Elderly homeowners

• Owners of vacation or second homes

• Properties with no mortgage (owned outright)

• Homes owned by people living abroad

• Properties in high-value real estate markets

As property records become increasingly digitized, fraudsters find it easier to commit this type of crime, and the number of cases continues to rise.

How to Protect Your Property

There are several ways to protect yourself from title fraud:

1. Check Your Title Insurance
   Many homeowners already have some level of protection through their title insurance policy, usually purchased during the home-buying process. Check with the title company you used when you closed on your home. Some homeowner’s insurance policies may offer add-on coverage for title fraud.

2. Sign Up for County Notification Programs
   In Utah, most counties offer a free program that alerts you to any changes filed against your property title. You must sign up, but I highly recommend doing so.

3. Use Title Monitoring Services
   Title monitoring is different from title insurance. While title insurance is a one-time purchase that protects against past title issues, title monitoring services are subscription-based tools that alert you to suspicious activity early, helping you catch potential fraud before it causes major damage.

   Some companies that offer title monitoring services include:

   • Home Title Lock

   • Title Guard

   • Property ID

   • LifeLock (select premium plans)

   • Complete ID

   • Experian (some identity protection packages)

   • Easy Knock

   • Allstate Identity Protection

Where to Learn More

If you want to explore this topic further, I recommend:

• Checking government sites like the FBI or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

• Visiting real estate and legal publications like Realtor.com, HousingWire, or the American Bar Association

• Exploring resources from consumer protection groups like the National Consumer Law Center or Consumer Reports

• Reading educational materials from title insurance companies

---

I hope this article helps you understand what Title Fraud is and how it can affect you.

If you have legal questions or specific concerns about your property, I recommend speaking with a real estate attorney who understands property laws in your state, as regulations and remedies vary by jurisdiction.