By Kevin Stone | KTAR
PHOENIX – Arizona is seeing a rise in deed fraud schemes in which entire homes are sold out from under the rightful owners.
The state Attorney General’s Office said it has received dozens of complaints about properties being sold without the owners’ knowledge by unknown scammers who filed forged warranty deeds with the county recorder’s office.
The process for regaining ownership can be long and costly.
The main targets are houses without a mortgage that are vacant or used for vacation rentals, and the victims are usually corporations or out-of-state homeowners. It’s also happened to homes where the resident has recently died.
County recorder’s offices aren’t required to validate document signatures, and they don’t have the staffing or training to do so. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said that’s the kind of system weakness scammers see as an invitation.
