The Best FREE Home Security Tip You've Never Heard

Lauren Waites June 14, 2023

When you think of protecting your home, most homeowners think of locking doors, adding exterior lighting, even cameras and alarm systems. But did you know that property fraud is on the rise?

Property fraud occurs when someone else fraudulently obtains the title your property. Your home could be 'stolen' from you - or really, your ownership interest in your home is fraudulently transferred to someone else - and you'd have no idea!

A common type of property fraud occurs when a property is owned by multiple parties. For example, two people purchase a home together each having 50% ownership interest. Their relationship goes sideways, and one party fraudulently files a false quit claim 'by' the other party. The other owner now has 100% ownership interest. They can sell the property and keep all the profits, since it's technically (though fraudulently) theirs. Another method scammers use is stealing your identity to change ownership on your property title from your name to theirs. They can then secure as many loans as possible using your home’s equity as collateral.

The bad news is that property and mortgage fraud are among the fastest growing crimes in the United States.

The good news is that the Shelby County Register of Deeds has set up a free online fraud alert system for property owners. It takes just seconds to sign up, and you will be immediately notified if a document is filed under your name with the Register of Deeds. Benefits of the Register of Deeds Fraud Alert Program include:

Instant notification of document filings
24/7 monitoring
Monitoring of multiple names

If you own property in Shelby County, please consider taking the few seconds to sign up for fraud alerts. It's free peace of mind and another layer of protection on one of your largest assets.

To sign up, go to https://register.shelby.tn.us/fraud-alert

-Lauren