The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is issuing a stark warning to property owners following a noticeable surge in deed and title fraud scams across the country.

The sophisticated scheme involves criminals harvesting publicly available information to steal a homeowner’s identity. Using these stolen details, scammers forge transfer documents to make it appear as though a property was legally sold or transferred to them. Because these fraudulent documents are filed with local county records offices, the crime often goes completely unnoticed by the rightful owners until it is too ever-late.

While these schemes are notoriously difficult to detect, BBB President Michele Mason emphasizes that homeowners are not entirely powerless.

“The county has just started a new system where you can sign up for an alert to let you know if there’s been any documentation submitted to change property ownership,” Mason said. “We highly recommend that people take advantage of this.”

The BBB advises all titleholders to remain vigilant and proactive. To safeguard your home, experts recommend the following steps:

• Sign Up for Consumer Alerts: Check with your local county clerk or recorder’s office to see if they offer a free property monitoring or land records alert system.

• Monitor Your Mail: Watch out for missing utility bills, unexpected foreclosure notices, or tax documents addressed to names you don’t recognize.

• Check Your Credit: Regularly review your credit report for any unauthorized loans or lines of credit secured against your property.

Local authorities are urging residents to register for their county’s notification systems immediately to catch any unauthorized filings before major damage is done.