We have all heard of the term ‘identity fraud’ but what should you do if your home has been fraudulently sold or had the deeds transferred to someone else without your knowledge?
Home identity fraud is becoming increasingly regular and the Land Registry are now being called upon to carry out tougher security checks before making changes to housing deeds.
So who is most at risk and how can you protect yourself against this? Homeowners who have paid off their mortgages are more susceptible to scams of this nature as no additional authority is needed by the lender to confirm the change of ownership.
You are more at risk if:
How to protect against fraud
The Land Registry offer a free Property Alert Service, notifying homeowners if the register of their property is changed. Restrictions can also be applied to title deeds where a sale or mortgage can only be processed if a conveyancer or solicitor certifies the application was made by the homeowner.
If you think you may have been a victim of property fraud, contact the Land Registry property fraud line on 0300 006 7030 or send them an e-mail to reportafraud@landregistry.go.uk.
Scam and rogue trader complaints should be reported to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0345 4040 506.
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