4 Signs You're a Victim of Title Fraud

Posted by JC Stock on December 21st, 2019

The idea of title fraud is a scary thing. It was practically unheard of just a few years ago, but title fraud is one of the fastest growing types of identity theft, leaving its victims stuck paying off bills they shouldn't be responsible for and paying thousands of dollars in legal fees. As bad as that is, however, the threat to your property and finances only increases the longer the fraud carries on unnoticed. That's why it's important that you're aware of some of the most common warning signs that someone has stolen your property's title.

Missing Bills

When your title's been stolen, some of your regular bills may no longer arrive at your home. You might find that you're no longer receiving your property tax bill or other notices. This can be particularly hard to spot if someone has stolen the deed to a rental property. You might not keep those notices in the front of your mind and may be more likely to forget about them if they go missing.

You Receive a Notice of Default

If you have an excellent record of paying your mortgage on time and find yourself receiving default notices, this definitely counts as a big red flag. You also might receive a notice of trustee's sale. If you get one of these without cause, don't treat it as some kind of filing error. It's a sure indication that you're being scammed.

Mysterious Loan Documents Arrive

Scammers will use their deed to take out loans, so if you receive some kinds of documents indicating a loan has been taken out on your property without your knowledge, then someone has access to your title.

Activity at a Vacation Home

If you have an investment property or a vacation home that's supposed to be unoccupied, keep an eye out for mysterious bills. You may receive a notice that the water's been turned on, or the air conditioner is running for no reason. A criminal may be living on the property without your noticing, or planning to take out a loan, so be cognizant of any activity taking place at your properties while they're unoccupied.

One way to protect yourself from the threat of title fraud is to hire a company that specializes in protecting property owners like yourself. That's the only way to be sure you won't have to pay huge bills and legal fees because you've been ripped off.