The Sting: Arizona Real Estate Agent Calls the Cops, Derails Deed Fraud

A fast-acting real estate pro helped nab the suspected perpetrator of a deed theft against a senior.

John Rowan, a Scottsdale real estate agent and investor, got a call from a stranger whose friend reportedly inherited a home and wanted to sell it as-is.

Rowan went to check out the Phoenix-area home. A landscaper present at the property described the owner as a man. That’s not what the stranger on the phone said.

So, Rowan tracked down the owner. He turned out to have held the deed for 30 years — and said he’d never listed it for sale.

Setting the Scene

Rowan called Scottsdale’s police department. The police had already been looking into the home’s status. The county has a deed alert system, and it alerted the owner of this home that someone had transferred the deed.

Rowan and the police detectives collaborated to catch the person or people who manipulated the senior’s deed.

Meanwhile, Rowan told the stranger they had a deal. Rowan agreed to pay $400K in cash within 48 hours. The suspects showed up for their funds. Detectives were waiting.

Police arrested two people. One was charged with a felony related to fraud and forgery. The second was charged with a felony involving the other one’s fraudulent property sale.

One had access to a new lock, and was showing the home.

What Was Your First Clue?

As Rowan describes it, just about everything about this deal was “off”:

• Rowan went to the county courthouse, and looked up the deed for the home. All the signatures looked like the handwriting of one person.

• The deed had been transferred for a mere $10.

• The seller could never explain how she was related to the former, supposedly deceased deed holder.

Rowan said it was the most blatant case of deed fraud he’d seen. But the scam looked familiar. Go after the homes of seniors, who one day move out. Or vacationers, when they’re away. Go after homes without mortgage balances, so no one notices a stealthy transfer.

Not an Isolated Case

Similar cases have happened in Arizona. One of them happened earlier this year, in August 2025. The state’s Attorney General, Kris Mayes, filed an action against Trenton E. and Gretchen E., and their businesses. The schemers, alleged the state, preyed on vulnerable deed holders who came to them for foreclosure relief. Older adults were deceived into signing over their deeds and would not get them back. Here’s the basic timeline:

• Scammers contact deed holders and offer to pay their mortgage balances, to stop foreclosure.

• Scammers have victims “temporarily” put the deed into a trust.

• The deed is transferred, with a bogus notarization, into a deceptively named entity.

• Scammers buy time by pressing victims into making other improper filings.

Arizona sued to bring justice for the victims; cancel improperly notarized deed transfers; and fine the perpetrators and bar them from buying or selling Arizona property. The suspects have been charged under both the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and the Adult Protective Services Act.  

What Can We All Do?

Many county government websites in Arizona and elsewhere now offer free deed alert systems. Those who sign up will get emails if anyone tries to lay claim to their deeds. This lets a deed holder know something’s up. An informed (and quick) deed holder can then get the attention of the police, before the deed is transferred again.

And if you’re in Arizona, call Attorney General Mayes to report suspicious offers or high-pressure tactics involving your deed. “I will go after any scam artists targeting homeowners,” Mayes said. “Especially those targeting vulnerable adults and senior citizens.”