Protecting the Family Home From Deed and Seller Impersonation Fraud

When a parent moves into assisted living, or after a parent passes away, the family home in Marlborough or elsewhere in MetroWest often sits empty for months while everyone decides what comes next. Those months are usually filled with paperwork and emotion, and they can also be a window of opportunity for criminals who pose as the owner and try to sell or mortgage a property that is not theirs. Any unoccupied property, including a second home, a rental between tenants, or vacant land, is vulnerable to similar deed fraud scams.

This is the third post in our Cybersecurity Awareness Month series. We started with protecting older adults from financial scams and then covered wire fraud at closing. This week, we are speaking mainly to adult children looking after a parent's home, because you are often the first to notice that something is wrong. If you would like to talk through your family's situation, our team is always happy to help.

What Is Deed Fraud and Seller Impersonation Fraud?

The FBI's Boston Division, which covers Massachusetts, has warned property owners about a steady rise in reports of quit claim deed fraud, also called home title theft or seller impersonation fraud. In these schemes, criminals forge documents to record a false transfer of ownership. Once the paperwork appears legitimate, they may sell the home or vacant land, take out a loan against it, or even rent it to unsuspecting tenants, leaving the real owner to go to court to reclaim the property.

The FBI does not track deed fraud as its own category, so it falls under the broader real estate fraud numbers. Those numbers are significant. According to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report, Americans filed 12,368 real estate fraud complaints last year and reported more than $275 million in losses, up from roughly $173 million the year before. FBI Boston has also reported that from 2019 through 2023, more than 2,300 victims in its New England region reported over $61.5 million in real estate related losses.

How Do Scammers Target a Vacant or Inherited Home?

These schemes usually begin with public records. Ownership and mortgage information are available to anyone, so a scammer can look for homes that are vacant or have no mortgage, which means fewer parties are watching. A house owned for decades by an older adult, with the mortgage long since paid off, fits that profile closely. From there, the pattern often looks like this:

• A remote "owner." The scammer contacts a real estate agent by email or text, claims to be traveling, working out of state, or caring for a relative, and has a reason to decline every request to meet in person.
• A rush to sell below market value. The "owner" wants a fast sale, often for cash, and is willing to accept a price well under what the home is worth because the goal is speed, not value.
• Notary and identification irregularities. Documents may be signed with a remote or out of state notary the agent has never worked with, or with a driver's license that does not quite match the owner's details.
• A push to change where the money goes. The impostor may ask that sale proceeds be wired to an unfamiliar account. Legitimate wire instructions should never be provided by email, and a seller's proceeds are handled through the seller's own attorney.

Because the home is empty, there is often no one there to see a lockbox appear on the door, a photographer arrive, or a sign go up in the yard. That is why family members who stay involved make such a difference.

What Warning Signs Should Families Watch For?

Many of these signs are easy to miss if they arrive in a stack of mail at a house that no one visits often. Pay attention if you notice any of the following:

• A listing for the home appears on a real estate website, or a sign appears in the yard, and no one in the family authorized it
• Property tax bills, water and sewer bills, or utility statements stop arriving, change names, or show unexpected activity
• Mail is forwarded somewhere the family does not recognize
• A neighbor mentions seeing strangers, photographers, or prospective buyers at the property
• You receive a letter or call from a title company, lender, or attorney about a sale or loan no one requested
• An alert or notice arrives from the Registry of Deeds about a recorded document

How Can Families Protect a Parent's Home?

Sign Up for a Property Fraud Alert

The Consumer Notification Service is the simplest place to start. Sit down with your parent, or with whoever holds legal authority for the property, and register the home together. Keep in mind that the alert tells you a document has been recorded, so it cannot stop a filing from happening. What it does is shorten the time between a fraudulent recording and your family finding out, and that time matters.

Keep an Eye on a Vacant Home

The FBI recommends physically checking vacant properties or having someone you trust do so regularly. Visit on a regular schedule, ask a trusted neighbor to call you if they see unusual activity, keep the yard maintained so the home does not look abandoned, and have the mail collected or forwarded to a family member. Every so often, search the home's address online to confirm it has not been listed without your knowledge.

Update Estate and Power of Attorney Documents

Clear legal authority protects the home and makes it far easier to act quickly if something goes wrong. If your parent is living in assisted living, confirm that a durable power of attorney is in place and that the person named is ready to serve. After a passing, work with an estate attorney on probate or trust administration so it is clear who has the authority to manage and eventually sell the property. These documents also make the eventual sale smoother, which is part of how we help families through our Senior Transitions resources.

Know Who to Call Before You Need Them

Write down the names and phone numbers of your family's attorney, the Registry of Deeds, your local police department's non emergency line, and your real estate agent. Keep that list where the whole family can find it, so a confusing letter or an unexpected listing becomes a phone call rather than a crisis.

What Should You Do if You Suspect Deed Fraud?

Act quickly, and do not try to resolve it alone. These are the steps we recommend:

1. Call your attorney. Your attorney can advise you on how to challenge a fraudulent recording and protect the title.
2. Contact the Registry of Deeds. Report the document and ask how to obtain certified copies. You can reach the Middlesex South Registry at (617) 679-6300, or the Worcester District Registry at (508) 368-7000.
3. Report it to your local police department. A police report creates an official record that lenders, title companies, and courts may ask for.
4. File a complaint with the FBI. The FBI asks victims to report fraud and suspected fraud at IC3.gov.
5. Call the Elder Abuse Hotline if your parent is 60 or older. The Massachusetts Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-922-2275 is available 24 hours a day for concerns about financial exploitation.

If you discover an unauthorized listing, contact the listing brokerage directly using the phone number on its official website. Agents and title companies take these reports seriously, and an early call can help stop a sale before it closes.

How Does Our Team Help Protect Sellers?

As an SRES team, we work with many families who are managing a home from a distance or settling an estate. We take time to get to know the owners and their families, and we coordinate closely with each seller's attorney throughout the sale. Real relationships are one of the best defenses against impersonation, because a scammer cannot easily fake years of conversation and trust. You can read how other families experienced that process on our Client Success Stories page. Next week, we will wrap up the series by looking at unsolicited offers on your home and the pressure tactics that often come with them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is seller impersonation fraud?

Seller impersonation fraud happens when a criminal pretends to be the owner of a property in order to sell it or borrow against it. The scammer often contacts a real estate agent remotely, claims to be out of town, and uses forged documents or a fraudulent notarization to complete the transaction. Vacant homes and properties without a mortgage are common targets.

Is there a free property fraud alert in Massachusetts?

Yes. The Middlesex South and Worcester District Registries of Deeds both participate in the free Consumer Notification Service at cns.masslandrecords.com. Massachusetts residential property owners can register up to three properties and receive an email whenever a document is recorded under their name, address, or book and page number.

Will a property fraud alert stop someone from recording a fake deed?

No. The alert notifies you after a document has been recorded, so it cannot prevent a filing. What it does is help you find out quickly, which gives you and your attorney the best chance to act before a property is sold or mortgaged a second time.

Who should I call if I think someone is trying to sell my parent's home?

Call your attorney first, then contact the Registry of Deeds, your local police department, and file a complaint at IC3.gov. If your parent is 60 or older, you can also call the Massachusetts Elder Abuse Hotline at 1-800-922-2275. If you see an unexpected listing, contact the listing brokerage right away.