Posted on Friday, November 7, 2025
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by Outside Contributor
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Title theft is not always deed fraud; sometimes those most vulnerable can be manipulated or scammed into taking harmful actions. A recent incident in Columbus, Ohio, illustrates this distinction. Late this summer, a scammer gained undue influence over an elderly homeowner by convincing him that he had won the lottery and needed to pay taxes upfront to receive his winnings. Under this false pretense, the scammer persuaded the man to apply for a reverse mortgage in an attempt to steal his equity. Fortunately, the homeowner’s daughter, acting under Power of Attorney and Guardianship, had already enrolled the property in a preventative protection system called EquityProtect. When the fraudulent loan request was submitted, EquityProtect’s SmartPolicy technology automatically locked the property’s title and alerted the rightful decision-maker, the daughter, effectively stopping the scam before any funds were released. “I was shocked when I heard from EquityProtect that my father was attempting to take out a mortgage on his home, as he has no need,” she said. “We’ve struggled for years with the influence this scammer has had over my father, and I’m incredibly grateful we had protection in place to prevent what could have been a devastating loss.” If you would like more details on this story, please click here.
A New Wave of Real Estate Fraud
Once considered rare and limited to luxury or absentee-owned properties, title fraud now affects everyday homeowners, retirees, and even seasoned investors. The FBI recently issued an alert out of Boston warning property owners to “take action to protect themselves” after a surge of quit claim deed fraud cases made headlines this April.
Why the sudden spike? As AI and digital forgery tools become more sophisticated, criminals are finding new ways to exploit America’s public property recording system.
What Exactly Is Title & Deed Fraud?
At its core, title fraud is when a criminal falsifies property ownership documents and files them with the county recorder. Once recorded, that fraudulent deed can be used to:
- Take out loans in your name
- Attempt to sell or rent your property
- Drag you into legal battles costing tens of thousands to resolve
The harsh truth: no one is immune.
How Bad Is the Problem?
Title and deed fraud in the U.S. has escalated into a serious crisis: from 2019 to 2023, more than 58,000 victims reported losses totaling around $1.3 billion through various real-estate scams. In 2023 alone, the FBI received 9,521 complaints classified as real estate fraud, with reported losses of roughly $145 million. Alarmingly, a 2025 survey of realtors found that 63 % of respondents had seen title or deed fraud activity in their markets over the past year. This upward trend, combined with the complexity of detecting fraud until after damage is done, shows how title theft has grown from a fringe threat into a widespread danger for property owners.
County Monitoring vs. Private Monitoring: Are You Really Protected?
Many counties now offer free property monitoring alerts. These systems notify you if a document is recorded under your name. But there are flaws:
- They trigger only after fraud has already occurred
- They monitor by name only (meaning common names or name variations slip through)
- They often generate false alerts tied to other people with the same name
Private monitoring services expand on this by scanning public land records and sending alerts if new deeds, liens, or mortgages appear. But they also suffer from delays, often days or weeks after the fraudulent document is filed.
Bottom line: Monitoring may help detect fraud, but it does not stop it.
Why EquityProtect Is Different
Here’s the hard reality: county recorders process nearly 300,000 documents per day. They don’t verify ownership before recording. And because the U.S. operates on a “race to record” system, the first document filed is often treated as legally valid — even if it’s fraudulent.
That’s where EquityProtect changes the game.
Unlike monitoring services, EquityProtect prevents financial crime before it happens. Our patented technology intercepts fraudulent transfers and requires secure identity authentication before a property deed can be altered. In other words, criminals can’t sell, mortgage, or transfer your property without your explicit approval.
- $1 Million Protection Guarantee backs every account
- Real-time transaction blocking prevents fraud at the source
- Market monitoring (Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com) alerts you if your property is fraudulently listed
This preventative system has already saved homeowners. In San Luis Obispo County, California, a fraudster attempted to impersonate a seller. Thanks to EquityProtect, the crime was stopped in its tracks. As District Attorney’s office investigator Eric Vitale confirmed, “EquityProtect’s preventative system effectively stopped the fraudulent transfer and safeguarded the owner’s property.”
Take Action Before It’s Too Late
If you want to know whether your property is at risk, EquityProtect offers a free risk evaluation tool at equityprotect.com. Or call (888) 213-2959 to speak directly with our team. AMAC members: mention your membership or use promo code AMAC20 to save 20% on setup.
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