Tag: identity theft
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Operation Hard Money: How a Team of Mortgage Scammers Exploited Los Angeles Seniors Through Title Fraud
The FBI recently arrested 11 people in Los Angeles. The investigation involved people who went after more than $17 million in deed theft, say prosecutors. To get that money, they repeatedly attempted financial fraud. The swindlers allegedly took over the titles to their victims’ homes so they could exploit them for loan collateral. Older adults…
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Texas Says Time’s Up for Deed Hustlers
A wave of real estate scams has prompted action by Texas lawmakers. Real estate theft and fraud are now in the criminal code. Naming deed crimes is part of a growing trend that you might recall from a series of articles we’ve offered on New York’s new law, naming “deed theft” as a crime category.…
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On the Rise: Deed Theft in New England
Can you imagine if someone faked a quitclaim deed and transferred your home out from under you? Years of steadily built-up equity, taken in one fell swoop. It does happen. New York has had to formally create a crime named “deed theft” to treat it with the seriousness it deserves—not just as forgery, but in…
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The Fair Credit Reporting Act: Behind the Scenes When You Acquire a Deed
Getting a deed often depends on a credit report. That’s because credit history is essential to the outcome of a mortgage application. Wrong or breached data can lead to denied loans and other negative effects, like higher mortgage interest rates. There is some good news for an applicant who’s turned down. The applicant must be…
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Leaving Your Home for a While? An Arizona Trucker Has a Cautionary Tale
“This is home. It will always be home,” D’Andrea Turner told ABC’s Channel 15. “I raised my babies here.” D’Andrea’s ex, Keith Turner, is a trucker who went out on the road for long stretches at a time. This left the home unattended, as the pair had separated. This year, the two parents learned their…
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Now It’s the Deepfakes. Protect Deeds and Accounts From AI-Generated Imposters
Real estate transactions involve large money transfers. Creative swindlers love those. And now, progress in artificial intelligence (AI) brings new opportunities for real estate fraud. Shady actors are using real people’s voice or image samples to create recordings and persuade buyers and sellers to respond to questions with key information. Then the scammers hijack the…
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Quitclaim Forgery Is Snatching Florida Homes From Seniors and Dead People
Some people will steal their own mothers’ homes. In a stunning case of deed fraud, a woman named Wanda donned a wig and pretended to be her own elderly mother, then tried to steal her home in Hillsborough County, Florida. A video recording shows Wanda using the Notarize computer-based notary service, signing a quitclaim deed.…
