{"id":7614,"date":"2026-07-19T23:14:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T03:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=7614"},"modified":"2026-07-19T23:14:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T03:14:34","slug":"where-does-your-county-recorder-stand-on-deed-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/where-does-your-county-recorder-stand-on-deed-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Does Your County Recorder Stand on Deed Fraud?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Deed theft? Mortgage fraud? Yes, they\u2019re among the country\u2019s fastest-growing white-collar crimes. It keeps getting easier for swindlers to create and record bogus documents that manipulate real estate ownership and financing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allen County, Indiana, Recorder Nicole Keesling spoke out this year about the public trust that comes with being elected to the role. At national conferences for county recorders and at Property Records Industry Association events, fraud involving real estate<\/a> is a hot topic, Keesling says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keesling has written publicly about the importance of protective steps. For example, her county office offers a free property fraud alert. Residents register their addresses. If anyone then records a transfer, contract, lien, or release affecting a title, the registrant receives an email, text message, or phone call. The Allen County Recorder\u2019s Office is the first in Indiana both to offer text alerts and to provide every alert option in Spanish and English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keesling has also announced a new notary fraud alert system. Notaries can sign up for free to receive reports about filings that name them. The system may also aid investigations when notaries or their seals are implicated in improper filings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is your county also leading in this area? Speak with your county recorder. Learn what\u2019s happening in your county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Even Real Estate Agents Can Be Deed Fraud Targets.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you own vacant land, stay especially alert. Real estate agent Mark Massaro owns undeveloped land in Manchester, Connecticut. One day, something unusual happened. Massaro learned that his land was advertised as \u201cfor sale.\u201d His friend saw the listing and asked him about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Massaro was the target of an impersonation scheme. Someone using false identification persuaded a real estate agent to post the listing. It took a text message from a friend for Massaro to find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou never think it\u2019s going to happen to you,\u201d Massaro says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it might. According to the National Association of REALTORS\u00ae, most agents have encountered suspicious title activity over the past year. More than six in ten fraudulent deed transfers involve vacant land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Massaro reported the fraud to the Manchester Police Department before the property could be sold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Low Can They Go? Stealing Homes Out From Under Dementia Patients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now we check in with New York Attorney General Letitia James<\/a>, whose office investigates deed fraud. Over the past decade, New York City has seen thousands of deed fraud cases, mainly in Brooklyn and Queens. Seniors and people of color are frequent targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, Attorney General James has announced an indictment in a deed fraud case. This case involves a senior named Althea Garrick, who has been receiving dementia care in her Brooklyn home. The alleged perpetrator \u201ctook advantage of an elderly woman suffering from advanced dementia,\u201d said Attorney General James, \u201cand stole the home she has owned and lived in for 47 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Takes the cake, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to investigators at the Office of the Attorney General, including its Real Estate Enforcement Unit, the suspect allegedly forged a deed transferring the million-dollar property to his New York corporation. He also allegedly used forged documents to modify the terms of Garrick\u2019s mortgage and gain control of her home. He then brought in renters. Garrick was confined to a small bedroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The suspect allegedly used the forged documents to drain Garrick\u2019s financial accounts. He allegedly spent the funds on luxury goods and trips. The suspect, who is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, was arrested in June 2026 and could face up to 25 years in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victims of deed theft are encouraged to contact their state attorney general, local law enforcement, and the Internet Crime Complaint Center<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sound Familiar? Another Ohio Case<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Terry Anderson and Angela Croley pleaded guilty in Ohio\u2019s Montgomery County Common Pleas Court to felony charges of tampering with official records. The case involved a forged quitclaim deed for the home of a man with dementia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pair had been charged with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n