Periodically Check for Unauthorized Activity on Any Deed or Title to Your Property!

The Maryland Insurance Administration is encouraging consumers to understand the risk of deed fraud, also called title fraud. 

Deed fraud happens when someone illegally transfers ownership of your property without your consent. To create the appearance of a legitimate transfer, criminals might forge signatures, steal identities, fake notarizations, or create fraudulent documents. If left unchecked, deed fraud can create difficulties when selling, refinancing, or making other changes to your property. 

Some companies sell deed fraud monitoring services that claim to protect homeowners from deed fraud. Deed fraud is a real risk, but it's important to know what these services actually do. The monitoring service provided is not insurance, and it cannot stop someone from filing a fraudulent deed or other document against your property. Instead, these services watch public property records and notify you after a change has been made. If the change is fraudulent, you will still need to take legal steps to correct your property records.

While no service can prevent every case of fraud, there are several free and effective ways to watch for suspicious activity and catch problems early.

How to protect yourself:

• Go to MDLandRec.net to verify and monitor your property records regularly for free, including searching land records, identifying any new activity, and viewing documents
  
• Check your credit report for suspicious activity through services such as Equifax, Experian, and Transunion
• Monitor your bills to look for unexpected changes, such as alerts of new loans being opened that you are not aware of, or bills that you should be receiving mysteriously stopping. If you are unsure, call the company directly to ask questions then seek an attorney if court action is needed
• Go to IdentityTheft.gov for free help if you suspect that someone has fraudulently used your identity
  

What to do if you suspect deed fraud has occurred:

• Contact the Clerk's Office in the county where the property is located to get copies of the recorded deed or other land records
• Contact local law enforcement where the property is located
• Notify your mortgage lender if your property is subject to a mortgage or loan
• Contact your title insurance company if you purchased an owner's title insurance policy
• Contact the Maryland Insurance Administration if the suspected deed fraud involves a title company or title insurance broker or agent
• Contact the Maryland Office of Financial Regulation if the suspected fraud involves a licensed mortgage lender, mortgage broker, or mortgage servicer
• File a complaint with the Maryland Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division
• Report cyber or identity theft to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center​
  

Deed fraud can happen to anyone. People most at risk include elderly homeowners vulnerable to scams, vacant property owners who do not monitor mail at that location, and anyone who rarely checks their property records for suspicious activity. 

Before the end of 2026, a Task Force to Study Deed Fraud will convene to assess the frequency of deed fraud in Maryland, how other states combat it, and the economic impact on victims of deed fraud. The task force will share its findings and recommendations to prevent, detect, and combat deed fraud, in a report to the General Assembly no later than July 1, 2028. 

To learn more about insurance fraud, visit our website.