Page 10 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, ApRil 11, 2025 FBI Boston Warns Quit Claim Deed Fraud is on the Rise landowners & Real Estate Agents Urged to Take Action to protect Themselves T he Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is warning property owners and real estate agents about a steady increase in reports of quit claim deed fraud it has received; scams that have resulted in devastating consequences for unsuspecting owners who had no idea their land was sold, or was in the process of being sold, right out from under them. Known as quit claim deed fraud or home title theft, the schemes involve fraudsters who forge documents to record a phony transfer of property ownership. Criminals can then sell either the vacant land or home, take out a mortgage on it, or even rent it out to make a profit, forcing the real owners to head to court to reclaim their property. Deed fraud often involves identity theft where criminals will use personal information gleaned from the internet or elsewhere to assume your identity or claim to represent you to steal your property. “Folks across the region are having their roots literally pulled out from under them and are being left with no place to call home. They’re suffering deeply personal losses that have inflicted a significant financial and emotional toll, including shock, anger, and even embarrassment,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We are urging the public to heed this warning and to take proactive steps to avoid losing your property. Anyone who is a victim of this type of fraud should report it to us.” Law enforcement and the FBI have been alerted to the fraud at all points in the process and have received reports involving a variety of fraudulent scenarios, including: Scamme r s who comb through public records to find vacant parcels of land and properties that don’t have a mortgage or other lien and then impersonate the landowner, asking a real estate agent to list the property. Homeowners whose properties have been listed for sale don’t know it until they’re alerted, sometimes after the sales have gone through. Family members, often the elderly, targeted by their own relatives and close associates who convince them to transfer the property into their name for their own financial gain. Fraudsters known as “title pirates” who use fraudulent or forged deeds and other documents to convey title to a property. Often these scams go undetected until after the money has been wired to the scammer in the fraudulent sale and the sale has been recorded. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which provides the public with a DEED FRAUD | SEE PAGE 11
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