# Preventing home title fraud **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 18, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943 "2025-11-18T01:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/1 "2025-11-18T01:25:07Z")
This latest scam is to used forged documents to file a title to your home and then use it to sell your house out from under you or take out a loan using it as collateral. It’s insidious because you don’t know it happened until it’s too late I found out my county clerk (I’m in NY) has a service to prevent this. You give them your name and email. If anyone files a document in your name, you get an email alert I’ve learned it’s also available in New Hampshire. You might want to contact your county clerk to see if they offer it. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/2 "2025-11-18T03:03:41Z")
What’s this service called (so I can ask the clerk for it by name)? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/3 "2025-11-18T03:24:29Z")
Check online (or phone) for your county under “Property Fraud Alert”. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/4 "2025-11-18T04:21:38Z")
I’ve heard of this, but don’t understand why such a sale is my loss. If someone fraudulently sells my house, or obtains a loan, it seems the party being defrauded is the purchaser or the lender. All I have to do is show my title and compare signatures, and a court should declare the sale or loan void. Why is this my problem? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/5 "2025-11-18T04:32:55Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Why is this my problem? Because they get a notary in on it to make “your signature” a legal fact. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/6 "2025-11-18T04:36:41Z")
I put a freeze on my credit which should stop the loan in my name part. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/7 "2025-11-18T04:45:38Z")
Which “fact” is easily disproven by comparing signatures. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/8 "2025-11-18T04:46:00Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I’ve heard of this, but don’t understand why such a sale is my loss. If someone fraudulently sells my house, or obtains a loan, it seems the party being defrauded is the purchaser or the lender. All I have to do is show my title and compare signatures, and a court should declare the sale or loan void. Even if it’s a cut and dried as you make it out to be, getting a court to do a quiet claim is probably going to run you $1-5k in expenses. And that’s best case, where the signature/documentation on the fraud is laughably fake. More likely, it’s just plausible enough that the loan company is going to pursue you in an effort to recover their money, because otherwise it’s a total loss. And while the title is in dispute, you’re going to have more credit issues, possible liens, and the like. I mean, I’m in the middle of something less insidious but just as troublesome _right now_. I refinanced in 2003 with the same company, and despite having documentation of the refi, they DIDN’T document the release of the first when they opened the second. And that company voluntarily dissolved in 2007 after the housing loan bubble went up in flames. It made getting a HELOC for some home repairs/improvements (new electrical and roof) far more complicated than it should have been, and the main issue isn’t going to get resolved until I pay the $$$ for a lawyer to review the docs and get the county to clear it. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/9 "2025-11-18T05:45:55Z")
They would take one look at my toilet and give it back. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/10 "2025-11-18T12:15:01Z")
Thank you ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/11 "2025-11-18T13:58:16Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I’ve heard of this, but don’t understand why such a sale is my loss. If someone fraudulently sells my house, or obtains a loan, it seems the party being defrauded is the purchaser or the lender. All I have to do is show my title and compare signatures, and a court should declare the sale or loan void. > > Why is this my problem? They can take out a loan or second mortgage, using your home as collateral, then don’t pay it. The bank will go after you for the money and can foreclose on the property. Your credit score would be in the toilet. You could fight it, but it could take ages and will cost you. > **[What Is Home Title Fraud?](https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-is-home-title-fraud/)** > > Learn how home title fraud happens, common signs of home title fraud, how to report fraud and how to prevent home title theft. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/12 "2025-11-18T14:23:00Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Which “fact” is easily disproven by comparing signatures. True, but you still need to waste time, money and energy to prove it. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/13 "2025-11-18T14:23:51Z")
Maybe - but it’s not like you can walk into a court tomorrow by yourself, show the judge the documents and it’s all fixed. You’ll have to get a lawyer and deal with the banks , etc for however long it takes to get the case in front of a judge. And you’ll also have to deal with the consequences of the impact on your credit score such as being unable to obtain loans. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/14 "2025-11-18T16:58:25Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Check online (or phone) for your county under “Property Fraud Alert”. I just did this and it for California, it happens not to be by County. It’s done through [California Department of Real Estate](https://dre.ca.gov/). I am still trying to navigate their website to figure out how. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/15 "2025-11-18T17:06:30Z")
Very cool! I just registered with my county for free for this service. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/16 "2025-11-18T17:18:16Z")
Georgia has a state-wide system called FANS that apparently lets you set up the notification criteria and receive an email if a “hit” occurs. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/17 "2025-11-18T20:08:31Z")
Then the law needs to be changed. This is bank fraud, not homeowner fraud. Homeowners should be indemnified against any consequences by default. Let the banks spend their time and money to prove otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/18 "2025-11-18T20:14:11Z")
You have a good point, but maybe take it to a new thread? You seem to be taking a good informational thread into a hijack. **If you are responding to something in a thread that is basically off-topic or likely to lead to a hijack, try this:** How to **Reply as a linked Topic** : Click Reply, in the upper left corner of the reply window is the reply type button, _looks like a curving arrow point to the right_. Choose **Reply as linked topic** and it starts a new thread. As an example, you can choose GD, IMHO or The Pit for it. That is actually the best method. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/19 "2025-11-18T20:16:57Z")
So, anyone have a cite about just how often this _actually_ happens? Is it an epidemic, or something which happens a few times in a given state each year? Edit: the linked article from **RC** above shows 9,500 complains nation-wide. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943/20 "2025-11-18T20:17:59Z")
My county doesn’t offer it yet, although other nearby counties do. Googling brings up a link for [https://www.propertyfraudalert.com/](https://www.propertyfraudalert.com/) , where anyone can register, but I have no idea if it’s legit or spammy, so I’ll pass for now. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preventing-home-title-fraud/1024943.md?page=2)