Two Ways to Avoid Having Your House Deed Stolen by Fraudsters
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ก.พ. 2022
- Stealing houses in Philadelphia, by fraudsters fabricating notarized deeds, spiked in 2018 and 2019. Fewer fake deed transfers occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. But records officials believe the danger is still real for homeowners. NBC10 investigative reporter Danny Freeman has the details.
Why did it take 3 years to get her name back on the deed, but the criminals were able to switch the deed much quicker?! I don’t understand that
Well its pretty much common sense, the govt cant just give it back just like that it needs investigation , because they need to be 101% sure and the transfer process should be more stricter ,
Your comment doesn’t make sense. Why can’t the government have the same due diligence when the criminals were stealing it
@@asahel980
That is not common sense, it's lack of sense. It should NOT have been that easy for the criminal but drag it out for the rightful owners. An investigation should always take place but the trail cannot take 3 yrs to follow.
It’s no different than dealing with squatters.
@@loujon191I agree. We as homeowners don’t have any keys to the town assessors office. They need to figure it out in their end.
Deed fraud should be a felony and the sentencing should be automatic 30 years with no plea deals. Laws have to change to prevent it.
Honestly idk but def more cuz I'm sick of hearing white collar crime
Lawmakers know the seriousness behind these crimes. It can destroy the fabric of this country.
@@itsreallymewhitney
It's grand theft in thousands of dollars...⚖️⚖️⚖️
Our government are weak.
@@itsreallymewhitney so violent crimes are ok to you?
In California, notaries are required to get a thumbprint for real estate transactions. That would help identify fraudsters if they did that everywhere.
or get a copy of the driver license.
@@rp7r54 The notary is supposed to use that or some other official form of ID to establish identity before signing. That's the case in California, and it must be the case everywhere, else people would just walk in and say, "Yes, I'm John Smith".
The notary should go to prison for signing
Who cashed the check and who issued the check🤷🏾♀️ How hard is it to find out that....
Easy.... not hard at all...whats hard is asset recovery and extradition from Russia.
Do they keep a copy of the check? I dont think so 😁
Damn three years in court to get your own house back? That's f'ed up
That's exactly what I was thinking. They would have to kill me and drag my corpse out before I'd let anyone steal my house and then try to evict me.
@@sinebar yeah, they would have to drag other corpses out before mine, believe that.
yep but they can start 4 trump trials in a year!
@@sinebaryeah right….move in and be a squatter-maybe as a squatter instead of a home owner you’d have more rights!
Definitely an insider assisting!!!!! No way a person can just walk-in and “buy“ someone’s home that easily. It shouldn’t be that easy to steal a property.
I agree 100%. Property deeds should go through vigorous and highly responsible measures of those that are changing the deeds.
Those people that are responsible for doing the paperwork must be sworn in in some way w cameras up and running at all times to show the face of the person that walked in the place claiming ownership.
Just like in the DMV when you take a picture for your ID and they fingerprint you., Something similar should happen when claiming deed to property because where you live is your shelter and that is your life and nobody should be able to "f" with that.
I believe that they should be able to run a proper ID verification with the DMV system itself to know if you are the person even under an ID that's presented because that ID could also be fake. Now.... There are machines used for verification of legitimate IDs since so many IDs are fraudulently made and hackers are always and scammers trying to get one up on the system.
So again like I said before...., For deed changes there needs to be some kind of an ID verification to ensure that it's not fake a cross verification with DMV system these places and people working here need to be sworn in with cameras at all times because when anything happens this is the way to know what went on.
That's it .
The safeguard is a notary public, but in each stolen deed cases they faked notary public.
Since it's a fake, the theft is legally invalid; but, you still have to go through the hoops to get it back.
Counties need to do something about this --- Since there has been considerable growth in new notary commissions and those seeking to get into notary business - some legitimate but others likely not so -- and then there are deed transfers conducted online/remote - talk about leaving the hen house door wide open for the crazy foxes !! THIS is what every county needs to do: have thoroughly vetted, designated county notaries who would be the only type of notary authorized to notarize a special (likely one page) document --- let's call it a "freeze of title", like one can freeze their credit report and therefore property owners can exercise the option to file this title freeze as public record, so this would mitigate the problem of notaries "on the take" as the notary issue would dramatically reduce this type of fraud. Counties need to vet and have this special designated notary pool, and also there needs to be extra layers of scrutiny for online deed notarizations. The title freeze would only apply to deed transfers and not lien or encumbrances from creditors.
@@pwu8194 The notary public just want their fee, nothing more. They dont really care about any proper ID.
It depends. Most of the time, the thieves try to sell to an outside investor who's looking to rent the property out or use it as an AirBn'B.
I feel bad for the property owners, but what about the unsuspecting buyers who might drop their life savings into a house just to find a family still living there the day they move in.
"What the heck you talking about, I never sold my house to you."
Always look at the house before you buy it, but sometimes people coming from out of state to start a new job or whatever, don't have the time or can't for whatever reason.
Why do cities make it so difficult for people? She spent THREE YEARS in court? Sounds as scammy as the deed theft.
When I bought my house, I had to call the City 4 TIMES to show that I bought it. Such incompetence with City employees!
When I bought my house I went to the county court house in person to record my title and did the same thing when I payed off my mortgage go in person and take care of my business so they can see who I am
you must a bunch of democrats running the county and/or city.
Not only City employees, but the majority of government workers are pathetic and stupid.
What city??
My question is how does this not happen to wealthy ppl? What are they doing differently to safeguard their assets?🤔
Probably LLCs.
Can't steal it if you don't know who owns it 🤷
Good one @@privateprivate5302
You buy title insurance for a one time fee of $500. Their job is to defend your title against fraud. I have paperwork to show law enforcement, and a company for them to call. Scammers don't have any authenticating documents. Title insurance is authentication that you purchased a policy when you purchased the house-it's a legit third neutral party who will sue if necessary.
1. Their homes are usually under a business name, not the individual
2. They have high powered lawyers on retainer who can fight it quickly.
Yes they most likely have it protected in private Trust.
They don't put property or assets in their names.
You would think that an individual has to present some type of photo identification and a social security number before they can change a house deed
The company lending money or buying these properties should be held accountable. That includes the escrow company.
There has got to be a way to stop this type of home ownership fraud.
Throw out corrupt, do-nothing officials, and install ones who will ensure DUE DILIGENCE on important transactions like deed transfers. Deed transfers online must be abolished until they find ways to authenticate them. So what if it takes a few extra steps to buy or sell a property? Some things simply should not be done online. Is VOTING done online? Only a handful of states allow online voting in special circumstances for limited cases, such as military families at remote posts. Security trumps convenience!
If you wanna learn how to be a criminal, watch the news
watch the current administration too.that da is a crook.
@@youngyeller 🎯
Why do we punish the guy whose had fraud committed against him? If it's a fraudulent act, then the seller should be prosecuted and the buyer out of luck or persue the fraudster. Glad that family got their property back.
That's what I say. When you buy a house you have the option to do a title search which would reveal the title history and any fraud. You can also get title Insurance.
EXACTLY
This is the part I don’t understand. The onus should be buyer in these transactions to make sure they aren’t getting scammed. When scammers used to sell the Brooklyn bridge, the city didn’t have to prove they owned it afterwards, the buyers were just out of luck.
Fraud guard and notary alerts are not preventative, and after a deed transfer has occurred it could involve significant time and money to reclaim property ! We need preventative measures like title freezes like we can freeze our credit report.
Notary is useless. Wouldn't a simple solution be to require a title transfer be done in person?
yes with IDs and matching finger prints
Yes, that's what I said all along! Best solution! They require a marriage/divorce contract to be done in person, so why not a house/deed transfer?
This is crazy how this can even take place. If there are records of an original deed, they need to go based on the info on that deed. How hard is that?
Land patents, I mean honestly who actually owns the property? Only he who built it can honestly claim the ownership. Who built the land it sits upon!
@@effff327 Yea but all that transfers once the property is bought.
Tricky they sell the house back and forth for a dollar making it hard for the city to track! that should be a flag!
The recorders office need notify the real owner first before any deed transfer can go through. How hard is that to do.
@@arlenem9697 well, why don't just require BOTH parties to PRESENT at the office PHYSICALLY to do the transfer, how hard is that?
These notaries need to be held accountable as well
It’s easier to steal a house than a car. The government does not see this as important. The deeds are filed with the city and in order for a new deed to be presented to the city it must involve the same process that is required for a car. We go to the state to register a car and the deed for a home also has to be registered with the local government so taxes can be paid. The same way the government can tell who owns a car then that same process must be applied to home ownership in addition to using technology to keep up with property ownership. The criminals should be locked up for a long time and all their assets should be confiscated and used to pay for all the legal cost of homeowners and the expenses related to the fraud
So the best that city government can do is let you know when your house was already stolen. Also, no info on how many cases have been successfully prosecuted... Hints at how successful Philadelphia law enforcement is. Criminals know there are no repercussions.
So can't the city itself be sued for being reckless with data that they are supposed to be accountable for in a sence?
I'm sure there's going to be a wonderful lawyer that would love to take this one up and make lots loads of money. You see the fact that the city itself knows that this happens AND that the city itself understands what people have been going through and that they are or have not done or taken enough to cross verify the owners of these properties is not something that is acceptable...why?
Because families, the elderly, children and hard-working people have been highly affected and the fact that the city isn't not attacking this full force and taking up measures right away is not acceptable.
@Wise Force In general, city and county recorders don't scrutinize a document or deed for authenticity. That's up to the courts to do. They just make sure it meets the legal requirements to get recorded, meaning the boxes are ticked, it's legible, properly filled out, and recording fees are paid.
No transfer should be made unless the original owner has been contacted and verifies that the transfer is legit. It's not that hard to stop it before it even happens.
I don't understand why they could not find who sold the house? Someone cashed that check for $30,000, someones name was written on that check. I would think it would be easy to find them.
Once it's discovered that the seller was a fraud , how could it be forced to be honored. The buyer should just be out of luck. They shouldn't get the property!! How could that be??
Okay, dumb question. But how easy is this really?
Sounds like the government should have some basic safeguards in place for this. Like check if the owner is actually dead...... then check on some inheritance process?
Seems like the US is genuinely too incompetent to do anything correct?
And no, you shouldn't need to sign up for a service to make sure you are not getting scammed.
💯👏🏽
Why can’t you TRACE the money! If you can’t find the fraudster follow the money trail that may hopefully lead to catching these criminals. This scam could leave citizens homeless. The city needs to do more and have more safeguards in place to prevent these scams from happening. Educate the judges so the legitimate homeowners don’t get screwed over when they file their case w the court
It wouldn't be hard to trace it. Real estate transactions leave a paper trail. A few google searches is all it would take to find the criminal.
This is why you get TITLE INSURANCE through your title company. It cost me a one-time $500 payment. It covers the cost of legal fees for defending your title as sole owner PRIOR to person trying to steal your place.
Right on girl
Thank you for the information. Can I buy title insurance after owning the property for years?
Doesn’t that only hold true up until you CLOSE on your property? Once you close on any particular property, doesn’t that title insurance cease?
@@Luked0g440Yes, I believe title insurance only covers fraudulent events and such that occurred PRIOR TO one's purchase of a property. But maybe identity theft insurance would cover deed fraud.
How is this happening in this day and age
Well connected people make a lot of money from it.
The government never tires of saying how they are fighting for us.
Why wouldn’t the person who bought the property from the fraudsters be on the hook for those funds?
They could not locate the person who stole the title just look at who borrowed the money on the property and they are the scammers and criminal
That's what I find extraordinary. They weren't looking very hard. Real estate transactions, even fraudulent ones, leave a paper trial. Court houses have surveillance cameras that would record the criminal. Online transactions leave a digital footprint. I ain't buying it. Something don't smell right.
Zero convictions for deed fraud is the problem
I would think someone who receives the documents ( and scrupulously checks them over for accuracy) or lends the money for a ridiculously low amount would start to see red flags. There really is no rush: why not tell “ the buyer” to come back in 24 hours while someone makes calls
It all comes down to the bank making the loan because there are some crooked banks and the people who work in side the bank and county or city office
My thing is how are the PURCHASES allowed to keep property they obtained under fraudulent pretenses.
It's the PURCHASERS who should be disenfranchised NOT the people who owned the homes!
You bought a house that wasn't sold!
How do you get to keep it??!!
If you pay for a lease on property that's not open to rent, you don't get to evict and move in so how do people who fail to do their due diligence before purchasing a home KEEP the home???
Its simple. Have official locations where your ID is needed and proof of home ownership. No one should be able to generate deed changes online in moments and then just need a notary after
GEE LOUISE! It’s the NOTARY PERSON! Anytime you get a notary to notarize a document, all parties involved have to produce ID Period! SUE THE NOTARY!
Easy to fake notary signatures.
@@JulStar13 yes, but under the laws you still need to investigate if it's faked or it's the notary problem, and whether the ID such and such was well-faked and the notary made a mistake or he/she was a part of the scheme! Once it's proven fake, both the BUYER & SELLER need to be held responsible, no need for further B.S.!
So if someone fraudulently "sells" a property, it's the new owner that is defrauded because the "seller" had no right to sell. It makes no sense that the real owner can lose the property.
Every name starts with _J._ So I wonder, who was the *Jacka..* that gave away all of their personal information for the house to be sold?
No personal info needed. Go to your county clerk, give them a Transfer of Deed, with a fake name as Buyer, and the original homeowner as Seller. Btw, home-owner names and addresses are public record. No other info needed.
The criminals won't spend five minutes in jail. This will never end because the mayor and city officials love, support, and protect criminals.
This is a local news report. It happens all over the country, in Democrat & Republican run states.
Why arent the politicians fixing the laws that allow this crap as well as squatting to happen
Because that’s exactly what they want. Chaos, crime and unhappy people. Once people start understanding that, then maybe they’ll stop voting for the same political parties decade after decade.
Thank you for revealing these truths... Relatives did this to me in Memphis .. forged deeds... Defrauded due process in Probate or Impersonated me..Used a Perjured notary... possibly paid a clerk in Shelby County.
So it's too hard to make a phone call to the original owner of record and ask if a pending change is legit?
we have LOW IQ everywhere in government and the one in the white house if Brain Dead. Unfit and nobody does anything
This is a city recorder office problem.
Why has no one sat down with the person in that department and forced them to answer some obvious and direct questions?!
They are interviewing everyone except the first broken link in the chain. There may be a bad actor in that department.
You got that right!
There is a really simple solution. If the bank loans on a property, and it turns out that the property was actually owned by someone else....The bank needs to eat that loan.
I had the county transfer notification set up on a property I owned in Florida. I sold the property and 3 months later I got an email telling me that the property was transferred. I'm guessing it shouldn't take three months.
Why wouldn't it be the responsibility of the title companies and government agencies to prevent this?
I can guarantee you that this type of crime is predominantly in lower black income neighborhoods why because one they know they don't have the resources to fight it they know they can't hire a lawyer lots of times and they think that they are not booksmart enough to fight it and trust and believe you cannot tell me people who participate in gentrification has not done this exact crime.
They need a way to verify true notaries in some cases.
Isn't it easy for the govt to VERIFY FAKED SIGNATURE? I mean after you realize it's a scam? If it's faked signature, then obviously both BUYER & SELLER were in it together, there's no need for further legal pursuit, the property needs to be immediately given back to real owner!
All these companies have to do is hire people to go around to the homes that are being sold and confirm it with the seller's before finalizing the deal, problem solved. These companies are just so greedy and lazy. Same goes for the people who buy the home. They should be held responsible for checking on the property as well if they don't their lost.
You can put your homes in a land trust or a English Common Law trust ( I did the latter, cost more but both will work)
They will have to kill me to make me get out of my house I own my house I have people calling me and sending letters asking to buy my house I told this woman off on the phone so bad she was stunned if you don’t see a for sale sign don’t ask to buy my house period😤 they need to have laws for squatters too cause in Oklahoma a family went on vacation and squatters moved in their house and police didn’t do nothing those people went to a hotel whaaaat😮 they would have been forced out and I bet the police would come then
My friend's parents were the victims of a squatter. They went to to NC to bury her uncle. When they got back someone moved in and changed the locks. Her dad kicked the door in and dragged the idiot out by force and ran him off. He had the nerve to call the police and claim he was evicted by force. Her dad told the police he didn't know anything about it. They never heard anything else out of it.
@@sinebar That's how ya take care of that problem!
Land developer's are a part of this !!!
This makes no sense whatsoever
It's common in Canada 🇨🇦. Happened to me luckily I didn't blow the house up with me inside. That's not right jail these pi*s. That's not right need better laws.
Whoever buys a house without carrying out the searches and going onto the land and checking it out... not being able to get into the house coz the fraudster doesn't have a key would be an obvious huge red flag. The buyer may lose their money, but the rightful owner of the house shouldn't lose their house. That's absurd.
Huh, I’m thinking of all those people who bought houses remotely during the pandemic. This shows how crazy that is.
Once you realize the mortgage (death pledge) contracts you signed are the true fraud then you will realize no amount of money can make you a true owner. Consumer vs citizen are you chattel or a being? Usc
American 🇺🇸
We the People vote into offices individuals which know about crime so why don’t these individuals protect us by passing a law stop this crime!!!
Call your representatives tell them fix this loophole!!
God bless us all.!!!
The problem shouldn't exist😡🙄
If they steal my deed they just stole my mortgage payment too. I would like to know how this can possibly happen and yes, it must be done with the help of those in the Clerk of Deeds Office.
Fraud Guard, free service. Will check it out.
It's happening all the time in Dekalb County Georgia.
I know Los Angeles county sends a notification to the current party named on a deed that something is happening in regards to the title on the property just in case. I know: I’ve sold two properties over the years within l.a. county….
Thank you for bringing this crime to light. I watched an infomercial on this very subject a few months back. I was shocked to learn just how easy a thief could steal my home. I decided to safeguard my wealth by purchasing a watch dog membership with Title Lok.
I recommend all homeowners to find this type of protection as soon as possible.
The people that do this are no better than common criminals. Treat them as such. No more white glove/collar treatment.
The procedure, policy or legal changes could EASILY be enforced to reduce deed fraud. Just require a current in-person photo and copy of drivers license for all deed transfers and Notary transactions, and require the notary submit them.
Throw out corrupt, do-nothing officials, and install ones who will ensure DUE DILIGENCE on important transactions like deed transfers. Deed transfers online must be abolished until they find ways to authenticate them. So what if it takes a few extra steps to buy or sell a property? Some things simply should not be done online. Is VOTING done online? Only a handful of states allow online voting in special circumstances for limited cases, such as military families at remote posts. Security trumps convenience!
1) ASK FOR A DRIVERS LICENSE AT THE TIME OF DEED FILING!
2) REQUIRE THE PRESENCE OF THE SELLER AT THE DEED OFFICE WITH ID AND/OR AN AFFIDAVIT OF TRANSFER FROM SELLER!
3) REQUIRE LETTER TO BE SENT TO THE LAST TWO KNOWN ADDRESS'S OF SELLER FOR CONFIRMATION AND /OR EMAIL!!!
You can't be evicted as a result of a forged deed. Such a document has no legal bearing.
What a dump.
This is crazy. A proper deed has to be registered with the county. You can't just write one up and have a notary sign it. How can someone sell a house using a deed they never registered? What's the point of registering the deed if no one bothers to check the registry for proof of ownership before a house if sold? Can someone register a fake deed to a house already registered by the real owner? Does no one at the registry office catch this? Maybe the state should provide home owners with a document when they register their deeds, like the titles they give us when we register our vehicles, to prove ownership? Seems like this problem needs to be fixed and could be rather easily.
These fraudsters are very smart. You gotta give them that. They know what to do and how to use the system.
this should not happen, people should not have to fight in court to prove something is theirs, this should be the responsibility of the state, you already have a deed why get another one. Notary system has to change.
The city-state is responsible for lack of responsibility and not being more stringent when verifying identifies. Silly to think that is harder to steal ownership of a car than a home.
Not for no $30000
Thank God the DA went after them. What if it’s a single one in an area? What do you do? Lawyers are Expensive!
You make title companies liable. Seeing how they're already required. Or the township. Law can be written I require title companies to charge a fixed administrative fee in order to make the deed within their database that then requires that title company in order to utilize it.
Simple regulations can handle issues of database breeches and failing/ shutting down of the business. It simply means the law recognizes the property cannot be bought without going through the proper steps.
First yes it can be done and so easy here some pointer 1 never sign a quick claim deed 2 always use a title company 3 check your deeds just like your bank account if u use a trust don’t
Doesn't make any sense. If somebody made a fake deed, then the buyer is not smart for not having a lawyer or insurance. But the sale is not valid.
This type of fraud used to be 100 years ago.
the county offices need to be held responsible and hit with lawsuits for not protecting innocent home owners
The fraudsters need to pay the legal fees, too!!
should be a death penalty for it.
Homeowners and HOAs need to start suing the Counties and bankrupt them if they cant do their job.
Fyi - anybody can apply and get a notary license. That's scary and needs to change.
THERES NO REASON THIS SHOULD EVER EVER EVER take place in the United States! This NEEDS to BE A FELONY . PERIOD. TREAT IT AS SUCH.
This is what TITLE INSURANCE is-ALWAYS buy it! All you have to do is call your title company. It is their job to defend and enforce your title. If someone shows up at my door, I get to laugh in their faces and CLOSE it. Won't even look at what they have. They can call the cops all they want-I have documents the thief doesn't. Just one quick chat with an officer.
I am a senior citizen and a fraudster walked into the Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office and filed a $80,000 fraudulent mechanic's lien against my property. There were no contracts, city permits, receipts nor city inspection reports. The judge dragged this case out for 4 years. $40,000 in my retirement savings are gone and this judge still will not overturn this fraudulent mechanic's lien. Because of my title being cloudy, I am unable to refinance my home nor sell it. The Fraud Department, Civil Rights Department, the State Attorney General nor the State Inspector General would not help me.
That’s horrifying, I am so sorry!
what is the process for eminent domain?
is there safeguards to prevent abuse of the eminent domain process?
eminent domain is a thing that the government uses to take a property for the purpose of demolishing the property and reverting it back to a plot of land in a flood zone and to take properties and demolish them to secure the land for industries like pipelines that may have to cross the properties.
It’s like their own homes were swept under their feet. This is scary.
Afis vs notary books would stop it quick! They won't though and Why?
In Joplin Missouri, the cops, local attorneys and state court judges are committing deed fraud in a criminal conspiracy involving their governor, assessor, prosecutors, sheriff, recorder of deeds, notaries, bank employees , county public administrator (for probate cases) and realtors....🤔🤔🤨😒
I really don't believe these deed frauds around the country are different. It's likely govt officials involved everywhere .
Its really a long running scheme in Missouri and I've been fighting with the govt officials over a house they've been trying to defraud from my family after a loved one pased away. so i know for a fact that its a govt official controlled fraud scheme .... U know judges and cops think they can do anything. Which empowers everyone else. And the Governor appoints the judges 🤷♀️
Thank you very much 😮
And if they do they'll let them out of jail. Like they did that preached that ripped off all them old people. Nothing but lies.
The days are numbered many at this point.
it took three years in court to get her house back, but it took fraudsters a few minutes. Why didn't she just use the same paperwork procedure? It is her house, her name, in her possession for years. If the municipality won't check the first time, why should they check when the actual owner switches the deed back to the actual owner's name. It should also be impossible to charge the actual owner with fraud because it is not possible to steal from a fraudster, steal from one's self, or steal your property back.
How does a homeowner find out??
someone paid $30K for a piece of paper.....it's not the deed. That person should go get their money back, not try and steal someone else's property....
We have a photo on our driver's licenses. Why not have a photo on the deed?
In Georgia an attorney is necessary.
The Government manages to trace drug money so they damn sure should be able to trace such crimes as this. And these people need to be sent to prison for a minimum of 30 years. They also need to do checks on all the employees working in the offices handling all of the paperwork as it definitely sounds like inside jobs as well.
How can home owner be defrauded when legal signatures are not in place on any of the fraudulent documents. That should immediately remove the real properity owner from all illegal actions. Any one involved in the entire process should be held liable, including lenders and attorneys that do not do the due diligence, because there will be triggers that something is not right .
Yes I know to well that it's happened to me stealing seed