Identity theft
A fraudster poses as the owner using forged or stolen ID to sell the property or take out a mortgage on it. Rental properties, Airbnbs, vacation homes, and empty properties are especially vulnerable.
Real estate fraud
Any home can be targeted.
Here’s how it happens.
Your home can be sold or mortgaged without you knowing. Lighthouse Title Alert can help stop or prevent this from happening.
Protect my propertyTypes of fraud
Title fraud is when someone sells or mortgages a property without the owner’s knowledge.
Manipulation
Someone pressures or deceives a vulnerable owner into transferring or borrowing against their property, as in romance scams and elder financial abuse.
Power of Attorney abuse
A legitimately appointed attorney can overstep their authority. A vulnerable person can also be coerced into appointing a new attorney or a bad actor simply forges a new Power of Attorney document.
Suspicious home transactions have tripled since the pandemic.
Source: FCT, 2023
Watch
See how real estate fraud happens
A CBC Marketplace investigation into a mortgage scam that is putting seniors at risk of losing their homes.
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Real estate fraud often targets parents and grandparents, landlords, and owners of empty or vacation properties. Pass this along to someone you care about.
“I have a mortgage, so I’m safe.”
Not quite.
A fraudster can sell your home, pay off the existing mortgage and walk away with the equity. A home equity line of credit can itself become the target. Financing on title may slow some fraud down, but it doesn’t stop it.
How Lighthouse Title Alert protects you
It deters
A registered property is a harder target, and fraudsters tend to move on to easier ones.
It warns you early
You and your Trusted Contacts are notified of a proposed sale or financing before it closes.
It puts you in control
You can stop a fraudulent transaction before it closes.
Who’s most at risk
Fraudsters look for owners who are less likely to notice
Owners
- Older homeowners
- Newcomers
- Snowbirds and frequent travellers
- Past victims of identity theft
Properties
- Rental properties and Airbnbs
- Vacation homes and cottages
- Vacant properties
Finances
- Mortgage free
- Significant equity in the property
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