Real Estate Identity Fraud Tips to Help Protect You
Real Estate around
the country has rebounded and with it fraud unfortunately is alive and well. What
we have been hearing from the experts, is that vigilance and a healthy dose of
skepticism and awareness is the key to avoiding such fraud.
CORI LLC has
created this post to help inform and protect the clients of the real estate
community that do things honestly and ethically. To get professional help with
all real estate needs call
1-888-815-5116 EXT 0 or CLICK HERE .
6 WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM REAL ESTATE DEED FRAUD:
by Heidi Siegmund Cuda
1. Look at your property records as
often as possible to make sure there’s been no activity. If you’re in a state
that offers online access, you can check your records from home. If not, take
the time to visit your county recorder’s office to review your property.
2. Cities and counties throughout
the country offer a program where homeowners can register their property with a
city register’s office. If your city or county offers this option, take
advantage of it because you can sign up to be notified electronically if
there’s any activity on your property.
3. Make certain your title
insurance protects you against deed fraud. 4. Do not leave your house
unoccupied or unattended for long periods of time. An empty house signals an opportunity
for fraudsters to impersonate the owner and run myriad scams. The best bet for
homeowners is to invest in a house sitter.
5. Make certain you are still
receiving property-tax notifications and if you start receiving ramped up
solicitations for home improvements, furniture, and insurance, that can be a
red flag that something is happening to your title.
6. If you think you’ve been the
victim of deed fraud, contact your law enforcement authorities to find the real estate fraud unit within your county.
The bottom line, this is a specialized crime and to open a criminal
investigation it’s critical that you get to the appropriate government entity.
If you can afford a lawyer, get one. But also determine if your title insurance
policy covers legal service.
If you are planning
to buy or sell real estate in the
next 12 months what you do right now could cost you, or save you thousands of dollars! For more
information CLICK HERE
