Although a fraudulent transfer can ultimately be rectified in court, there are scenarios where it is already too late.  For example if the true owner passes away before the fraud is discovered or in the case of a pending property sale, the resulting delay can be enough to delay or derail the transaction.

If you think you own your home, obtain a title search or abstract of title. Even though the deed was conveyed to you when you purchased the home, and was likely warranted to be free and clear of outstanding liens or claims at that time, there is nothing to prevent a scammer from filing a false claim on top of your legitimate deed after closing and finalization of the conveyance.

This is because County Recorders are not authorized by law to verify the legal claims made in documents. Even if you paid off your mortgage and hold proof of such, fraudulent or misfiled claims or encumbrances can affect your ability to sell, refinance, or pass your home on to your heirs.

One way to know your title is clean is to regularly inspect your “chain of title,” or sign up for our subscription service , which monitors your chain of title and notifies you whenever any document recorded against your property contains errors or creates title defects you need to cure.