With the pressure that comes along with buying a home, especially in a competitive real estate market like Coronado, it is important to ensure the safety of your investment and that you don’t fall victim to suspicious and fraudulent real estate activity.
According to the FBI’s 2021 Internet Crime Report, real estate wire fraud continues to be one of the most prevalent cybercrimes in the U.S.
About 13,638 people were victims of wire fraud in the real estate and rental sector in 2020.
Real estate fraud can look like a variety of things and occurs when individuals commit an offense related to the purchase, sale, rental or financing of your real estate property.
Steps to avoid real estate scam
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of a real estate scam.
To start, if you are suspicious or have knowledge of fraudulent activity such as submission of forged loan applications, fraudulent transfers of title of real property, or home equity sale contract fraud, report this activity to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office Real Estate Fraud Unit.
To make it easy for you to catch suspicious activity, the County of San Diego Assessor/Recorder/County clerk, Jordan Z. Marks, has partnered with the San Diego County District Attorney’s office- Real Estate Fraud Unit to fight real estate fraud through a free service called OWNER ALERT.
OWNER ALERT protection
OWNER ALERT is a service that uses cutting-edge technology with 24/7 monitoring to protect property owners from title fraud and unwarranted liens.
With this free subscription, property owners are alerted via email anytime a document is recorded into the County of San Diego Official Records that contains your registered indexed name or Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN).
These changes could include a transfer of ownership, the recording of a new mortgage, or a change in assessed value. Property owners will be notified of any changes that may affect their property rights or property taxes.
You are able to register up to 10 different names and/or 10 APN’s, allowing you to get notifications for personal, business and trust names.
Subscription is simple
The subscription is simple. All you need to enroll is your name, email address and your APN, which is located on your property tax bill.
Visit https://arccprn.sandiegocounty.gov/Subscribe to sign up.
As a trusted and experienced real estate agent in your area, I not only understand real estate, but am also able to provide clients with the information and tips they need to ensure against real estate fraud. Subscribing to OWNER ALERT is a great place to start.
Contact me today for more information on how to protect your home! (619) 568-0568 info@simonerealestategroup.com.
