Four Steps to Protect Yourself from Property and Mortgage Fraud
At Truepoint, safeguarding your financial well-being extends beyond investment management. One area increasingly at risk—yet often overlooked—is real estate fraud, particularly property title and mortgage fraud. These schemes are on the rise nationwide and can affect both primary residences and secondary or inherited properties.
What is property and mortgage fraud?
Property fraud typically involves criminals forging documents to transfer ownership of your home or other real estate into their name—often without you knowing. Mortgage fraud may involve someone illegally applying for loans using your identity or equity in your property. These crimes can go unnoticed for months and are costly and time-consuming to resolve.
Why now? Rising property values, vacant or rented homes, and publicly accessible records have created an environment ripe for property and mortgage fraud. Empty-nest homes, vacation properties, or homes held in trust are frequent targets—making this particularly relevant for many of our clients.
The good news: There are several easy, proactive steps you can take to reduce your risk.
1. Enroll in your county’s property fraud alert system
Most counties offer a free service that notifies you when a document is recorded in your name. This early-warning system can alert you to unauthorized activity, such as someone attempting to file a fraudulent deed or lien.
Clients local to Cincinnati can enroll here:
Many other Ohio counties—and counties nationwide—offer similar fraud alert services. Visit your local county recorder or clerk’s website and search for property fraud alert or recording notifications. If you have trouble finding the correct site, your Truepoint advisory team is happy to help.
2. Freeze your credit to prevent unauthorized mortgages or loans
Fraudsters can use stolen identities to apply for loans against your property. Freezing your credit makes it significantly harder for anyone to open new accounts or mortgages in your name.
Below you can find instructions on how to freeze your credit (free and easy to lift/unfreeze as needed):
This doesn’t affect your current accounts or credit score, and you can temporarily lift the freeze anytime you need to apply for credit.
3. Secure your email and mobile accounts
Your email and phone are often used to verify major financial or legal transactions, including real estate deals. Securing these accounts is critical to prevent impersonation or unauthorized access that lead to property and mortgage fraud.
Recommendations:
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your email and cell phone provider accounts
- Use a strong, unique password for email—ideally stored in a password manager
- Set a PIN or passphrase with your mobile provider to prevent SIM swapping or unauthorized number transfers
If your phone or email is compromised, fraudsters may be able to intercept sensitive communications related to property or banking.
4. Monitor your property records periodically
Even with alerts in place, it’s a good idea to occasionally review your property’s public records—especially for second homes, rentals, or inherited properties. You can do this through your local county recorder’s or auditor’s office.
Look for:
- Deeds, liens, or mortgages you don’t recognize
- Changes to ownership or mailing address
- Court filings related to your property
Example searches:
While property and mortgage fraud can be difficult to detect and disruptive to resolve, taking these proactive measures will greatly reduce your risk. By enrolling in fraud alert systems, freezing your credit, securing your digital accounts, and periodically monitoring property records, you create multiple layers of protection. And remember, your Truepoint team is always available to guide you through these steps and help safeguard both your financial and personal peace of mind.
