Title fraud, or deed theft, is when someone illegally transfers the title or deed of a property without the owner’s knowledge. Often, criminals use fake IDs and/or forged documents to record documents with the county recorder of deeds, transferring the property to themselves, or falsely represent themselves as the owner to list and sell a property. The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) 2025 Deed and Title Fraud Survey was developed to measure the nationwide occurrence of these scams. NAR’s research shows that 62% of fraud occurrences were associated with vacant land, rather than owner-occupied properties (12%). The majority (52%) of the scams involve residential land. Less than one in five involve a single-family home. The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors supports House Bill 1406, which creates a criminal offense of deed fraud. NAR has created a consumer guide to help explain what deeds and title fraud involve. In the Philadelphia suburbs, recorder of deeds offices offer free fraud protection services for homeowners.
Source: PAR JustListed; 6/16/2025