Attempts to Sell Homes Out From Under Owners Have More Than Doubled, Title Industry Survey Finds

WASHINGTON—A growing number of title companies say criminals are trying to sell properties they don’t own, often by impersonating the real owner.

The American Land Title Association (ALTA), the national trade group for the title insurance industry, released a survey on Sept. 14 showing that 59 percent of responding title and settlement firms reported at least one attempted seller impersonation fraud in the prior calendar year. In ALTA’s 2024 survey, the figure was 28 percent.

The rise was just as sharp in recent months. In the month before the spring 2026 survey, 45 percent of firms reported an attempt—up from 19 percent in 2024. Reports of three or more attempts in that month rose from 4 percent to 23 percent.

What Is Seller Impersonation Fraud?

The Scale, and Its Limits

ALTA surveyed 245 title insurance professionals in 40 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

While many firms reported that they saw fraud attempts, the report failed to count how many fraudulent sales were officially tried nationwide. Most respondents rated how common a tactic or target was, using a scale from “never” to “very common.” As a result, the report is largely a reflection of the industry’s perception of the problem. It begs the question of whether this is due to a lack of hard data or a reluctance to be associated with fraud attempts.

The 2026 respondent pool featured more large and multistate firms than 2024. However, adjusting for this increase doesn’t materially change its conclusions.

The financial stakes for this type of fraud are significant.

Who Is Being Targeted

Vacant land remains the top target, rated at least “somewhat common” by 82 percent of firms. The owner of a vacant lot is easy to impersonate: nobody lives there, and the owner may go years without visiting.

The report also found targets widening. Vacation homes, rental properties, agricultural land, and even primary residences have become more common targets than in 2024. The share of firms rating primary residences at least “somewhat common” rose 13 percentage points, to 25 percent.

For the first time, the 2026 survey asked about ownership characteristics. Properties with absentee owners ranked highest (72 percent), followed by properties owned free and clear (68 percent) and properties of recently deceased people (55 percent).

How the Fraud Is Carried Out

Criminals are using newer technology alongside old methods. Of the firms surveyed, 87 percent rated spoofed contact information, such as faked phone numbers or email addresses, as at least somewhat common. And 58 percent said the same of deepfake images or voice.

Traditional identity data, however, still play a large role. Firms rated knowledge of birth dates (70 percent), the owner’s personal finances (60 percent), and Social Security numbers (55 percent) as commonly used. More than a third rated death certificates as a “somewhat common” factor in the fraud attempt.

Why Retirees May Be Especially Exposed

Several of the risk factors the ALTA report identifies overlap with situations that are common in retirement: homes owned outright, second homes and vacation properties, land held for years, and properties inherited from a parent or spouse.

Elder financial exploitation is a separate concern the survey tracked. It was rated at least “somewhat common” by 49 percent of respondents, up from 34 percent in 2024, though the survey treats it as a distinct category from seller impersonation.

Note: The connection between retirees and seller impersonation is this article’s analysis, and was not addressed in the ALTA study.

Warning Signs Title Professionals Watch for

The report lists the red flags firms most often cited as at least somewhat common:

No single item proves fraud. Title professionals look at combinations.

How the Industry Is Responding

Of all responding firms, ID verification systems were rated the most helpful tool for dissecting fraud (92 percent), followed by contacting the seller directly (90 percent), multifactor authentication (89 percent) and approved notaries (88 percent). Knowledge-based authentication, which asks questions only the real owner should be able to answer, rose to 86 percent, up 24 points from 2024.

Most detection happens before the closing table. The clearance, or curative, process was the most commonly cited stage for catching fraud (87 percent), followed by signing or closing (68 percent).

What Homeowners Can Do

Many of the following steps are commonly recommended by consumer and industry groups. Details vary by state and county.

The Epoch Times copyright © 2026. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.