By Pinal Central
MARICOPA — A concerning new fraud trend has been on the rise across the country and in Arizona the last few years, and city and county officials are warning citizens to stay vigilant and protect themselves from becoming victims.
Title fraud, also known as deed fraud, title theft or home title fraud, has been on the rise since the early 2020s. According to the Central Arizona Association of Realtors, the fraud itself entails illegally transferring or claiming ownership of a home or property without the real owner’s consent or knowledge.
This is reportedly accomplished through the use of fake IDs, forged deeds, impersonation, falsified property transfers, squatting, pressuring or deception of the homeowner, or even simply selling a property they do not own, with fraudsters netting large profits from selling the homes or properties, taking out mortgages on them, loans against them or even renting them out fraudulently.
