3 Home Title Fraud Protection Tips




Home title fraud is a serious situation that can cause a homeowner to lose their home. The criminal will use stolen documentation to change the information on the title so that they can borrow extensively against the home. Homeowners will commonly not recognize that this is occurring until the home goes into foreclosure. While this is a scary situation for any homeowner, there are ways that you can protect yourself. If someone attempts this type of cybercrime against you, you’ll be able to recognize it before your house is foreclosed upon. Here are some home title theft protection tips to follow.

Check Your Credit Report

The way that criminals gather information and borrow against the title is through identity theft. Any financial action that occurs in your name will show up on your credit report. Checking your credit report regularly will allow you to determine if anything is happening that you’re unaware of. If you are a victim of identity theft, you’ll be able to contact the authorities early on so that the criminal can be caught and the problem can be solved. Catching this problem early will allow you to avoid any serious situations, such as foreclosure on your home.

Pay Attention to Incoming Bills

When you own a home, there are certain bills that you should be receiving. This includes tax bills, water bills, and mortgage bill. If you’re suddenly not receiving one of these bills, you need to contact the company to determine why you’re not receiving it and where that bill is going. A primary sign that you’re a victim of identity theft is that you’ll no longer be receiving what you’re supposed to. Many people pay more attention to the bills of their primary residence than of secondary residences. Cybercriminals attempting home title fraud will often target those with second homes, vacation homes, or real estate investment properties as they assume the homeowner won’t pay as much attention to that property.

Check Home Information

Your county’s deed office has information on your home, including who the owner is. If there is any change to the title of your home, it will be reflected in the documentation at that office. It’s a good idea to check on your home’s information at the county’s deed office every now and then. If anything changes unexpectedly, it will be a sign that there’s a problem that needs to be addressed.
Home title fraud is a problem that might arise if you’re not vigilant. These title theft protection tips will allow you to discover if someone is attempting to steal your title and borrow against your home.

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