Five Key Steps To Protect Senior Deed Holders From Scams

Older homeowners, especially those whose mortgages are paid off, can be targeted for deed theft. The crime involves someone else pressuring a vulnerable senior or forging documents to gain control over the property’s value.

But good, timely planning can protect the senior—and, ultimately, protect the senior’s heirs in turn.

The Importance of Making Plans for Tomorrow—Today

The most helpful time to think about protective steps is before the senior is dealing with serious health or memory issues. The older we get, of course, the more vulnerable we become to manipulation (in person, or behind our backs). There’s no shame in stating what law enforcement knows all too well.

A crime that’s getting attention across the country is deed fraud. In these cases:

• A swindler might forge the true owner’s signature, take control of the deed, then transfer it to an LLC or an innocent third party.

• Bad actors may get personal information online, and assume the real deed holder’s identity in order to get a county clerk to record the deed.

• Crooks use cutting-edge technology to falsify notarizations. In some cases, a notary is an accomplice.  

Once a swindler gains control over another person’s deed, they can cash out the equity, sell the home to a legitimate buyer and take profits, or rent out the home if it’s empty.

Yes, empty homes are especially juicy targets for fraud. If the senior has left the home or doesn’t normally live there, be sure someone’s checking up on the home.

If you spot anything unusual happening, act quickly. Contact your local deed recorder, and local police.

While quick action can stop criminals from doing further harm, if the title theft has already happened, a court might have to quiet the title to restore ownership.

Help Keep a Deed Holder Safe: Map Out a Step-by-Step Plan

You can take things step by step:

Step 1.

Talk with your loved one about what you’re reading now. Ensure they’d be comfortable saying something if they notice anything strange.

Step 2.

Check the deed. Notice any unexpected claims. And help your loved one sign up on the home’s county website for “deed alerts” (if available). This will trigger a message when anyone records a claim on the deed.  

Step 3.

Help the elder set up autopay for bills. Elder homeowners may need hands-on help and your confidence with online tools. Show the elder how to visit AnnualCreditReport.com so they can keep on top of their financial identity. If necessary, become a joint account holder or authorized signer.

Step 4.

Remind your loved one to update their will. No will ready? Encourage them to meet with a wills, estates & trusts lawyer to make (or update) a will.

And that leads us to…

Step 5.

Help the elder meet with their lawyer, accountant, or other professionals to review estate plans. To prepare, gather recent tax returns, financial account records, and passwords. Put paper copies in a binder and make a backup for digital copies.

These steps have more than a record-keeping value. They also ensure that someone’s aware and alert on behalf of the elder deed holder.

Finally, stay on the lookout if there’s a new person offering to manage money or assets. In one severe case of con artistry, a deed theft mastermind named Pauline Macareno pressed an elderly person to sign over a deed into a jointly held LLC, in order to take the property when the elderly homeowner died. When the senior kept living, Macareno orchestrated a murder-for-hire. In 2024, Pauline Macareno and her accomplices were arrested for the senior’s death.

Pretty gruesome. Yet it does show why this whole conversation with your loved one matters so much.

Remember, the information we provide readers is general in nature. It’s not legal or tax advice. Laws vary by state, and the effects of laws depend on specific facts.

When acquiring a deed or refinancing, consider enhanced title insurance from the American Land Title Association—to cover impersonation or forgery problems.