Identity Theft, Title Theft & Mortgage Theft

[acrewofone]

I've been seeing all over the internet, stern warnings about the above. We are encouraged to get some type of protection to keep your Identity and House safe from shady individuals that can steal your very abode right out from under you. (horror story about the 77 year old woman that answered the door to a County Sheriff telling her she had 30 minutes to gather her belongings and vacate her home, which was now owned by someone else).

Has anyone purchased this type of protection, or even had a similar situation? Any recommendations on a good service? (many sites say the Aura is the best). They also say that the cheaper alternative services do not give you the best protection and may only notify you after the theft has taken place.

I can not even imagine the horror it would be if it happened to us, with a Wife that has been battling cancer for the last 22 and years is virtually bedridden at this point. Our household includes the Wife, my Daughter that is legally blind, and my Granddaughter that has Epilepsy (Grand Mall Seizers), plus my own battle with Prostate Cancer (I won that one) and now being diagnosed with Sarcoidosis. (just what I need, another health problem).

[Number six]

I'm not a homeowner, and this would be tragic. If that happened to me, I'd be watching it burn to the ground, after the thieves moved in.

[Daltech]

Ask your mortgage company, or a banking professional you trust. Ask them exactly how that stuff happens, or if they’ve ever heard about it happening in your region. I’d also ask your financial advisor or cpa/ tax preparer. Just see if they’ve heard about it or advise one way or the other.

Now onto random internet advice, I’d say don’t be worried, I have no idea if this is even remotely possible or how it would work. I think some research at the county/city hall would get you some more information on how to be properly protected from any time of home title fraud. Your county is where the title is held? Right?? I’m just spit balling some ideas to try to help you out. Best of luck friend.

[Kit352]

Different states have different laws. Do your homework. it doesn't happen around here. Now if I lived down south then it seems much more common place.

[river031403]

How is that even possible lol

[russonti]

This sounds like something that happens in Washington State. But what we are doing is putting the house into an irrevocable trust. It's usually only recommended if your house/assets are a million plus but we're still doing it anyway. This way ain't nobody can touch the house. Not shady scammers, not the state, not the government, not medicare, not a nursing home incase i get old and need to go to a nursing home, not someone trying to sue us and take everything, literally nobody. It's apparently not always cheap but we found a lawyer that is doing it for a couple grand.

Other than that my company offers state farm identity theft protection for me and my family. And apparently i just found out that my heath insurance got hacked and my info got leaked so they're offering 2 years of free identity theft protection from who knows. I dunno, i don't pay for it and haven't had to use it yet.

I did have my old bank account info stolen 15 years ago and drained to -$800 but my bank did cover that but that was before all this identity theft protection was as big as it is. I did have another sloppy scammer try a few years after that but i personally tracked them down and found their house in florida and may or may not have threatened to fly down and kicked their asses. I dunno, i got real lucky in that situation

[Axel]

Newstalk 103.7 did a segment on this on their Law Hour show, which I only mention because you're local.

In short, these services don't do anything that you can't do yourself. I won't claim that NObody has ever tried a scam like this this, but it's not really something to concern yourself over. If it happens to you, you dispute it in court, where since you didn't actually sign over your house, the fraudster has no leg to stand on, and I would guess, probably wouldn't risk showing up.

The only thing that's prevalent about home title theft is all the new services suddenly showing up in advertising to scare you into buying a subscription

https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-al...e-not-lock-all

https://www.marylandattorneygeneral....2/062722CA.pdf