Here are the nine signs, grouped by where you'll notice them. Tap one to jump to it, or print the checklist.
In your mailbox
Online and in records
At the property
How do you know if your home title was stolen?
You usually find out from something that changes around you: your mail, your records, your credit or the property itself.
Your title is your legal ownership of your home. A deed is the document that moves a home to a new owner, and the county recorder keeps those deeds. In home title theft, a criminal forges your signature on a deed, files it, then sells the home or borrows against it. Our guide to how home title theft works explains the schemes.
Most homeowners will never see these signs. If one shows up, acting the same week makes a fake deed much easier to undo.
Did your property tax bill stop coming?
A missing tax bill can mean someone changed the owner or mailing address on your tax record. The National Association of Realtors lists "stop receiving property tax bills" as a sign of title fraud. New York's Attorney General warns owners who "stop receiving your property tax and water bills."
What it can mean
A new deed was recorded and the tax office now sends bills to the "new owner." Or someone changed your mailing address first, to hide what comes next.
What to do today
Call your county tax collector or assessor. Ask what owner name and mailing address they have on file, and when the last bill went out.
Is your mail missing, or arriving for someone else?
Mail that stops, or mail for a stranger at your address, can mean someone is using your identity or your property. The FTC says, "If you stop getting a bill, that could be a sign that someone changed your billing address." California's Department of Financial Protection and Innovation says mail "addressed to someone else and delivered to your home can be a warning sign."
What it can mean
Someone filed a change of address in your name, or is setting up accounts tied to your home.
What to do today
Open mail for strangers instead of tossing it. If you get a USPS Move Validation letter for a move you didn't make, contact the Postal Service right away.
The Postal Service mails a Move Validation letter to your old address when a change of address is filed (USPS).
Did you get a letter about a deed you didn't sign?
Some counties and cities mail you when a deed is recorded on your home, so read every one. New York City's Department of Finance tells owners, "We will tell you when someone records a document on your property," and asks them to "open mail from the Department of Finance." Los Angeles County mails owners copies of documents "that change ownership."
What it can mean
A deed moving your home to someone else is already on file.
What to do today
Call the number on the letter and ask for a copy of the document. In Los Angeles County, call (800) 593-8222.
Are loan papers or bills arriving for debts you don't have?
A mortgage statement, loan welcome letter or past-due notice you don't recognize can mean someone borrowed against your home. California's DFPI warns about "notices about loans or deeds you didn't authorize." The Realtors' group lists "unexpected notices from banks or government offices."
What it can mean
A thief took out a loan using your home, either in your name or after moving the title to their own.
What to do today
Call the lender using a phone number you look up yourself, not one on the letter. Ask what property the loan is on and who signed it.
Did your county send a fraud alert you didn't expect?
A free county fraud alert emails or texts you when a document is recorded in your name. If you didn't sign anything, that alert is often the earliest warning you'll get. Seminole County, Florida's clerk says an alert about "activity not initiated by you" may give you time to act.
What it can mean
A deed, mortgage or lien was just filed in your name. It can also be a false alarm (see below).
What to do today
Open the document on the county website or call the recorder for a copy. Check who signed it and who it names as the new owner.
Is there a loan on your credit report you don't recognize?
A mortgage, home equity line or hard inquiry you didn't apply for can mean someone is borrowing in your name. The FTC says, "Accounts in your name that you don't recognize could be a sign of identity theft."
What it can mean
A thief used your identity to borrow, possibly against your home.
What to do today
Get your free reports at AnnualCreditReport.com. The three bureaus let you check "once a week for free." Dispute anything you don't know, and freeze your credit.
A clean credit report doesn't prove your title is safe. When a thief moves your home into their own name first, any loan is in their name, not yours. That's why the county record (sign 5) matters most.
Is your home listed for sale or rent without your OK?
A listing you didn't post, or a call from an agent about "your" sale, means someone may be posing as you. This is called seller impersonation. The FBI warned in June 2026 that criminals use fake IDs, new email addresses and internet phone numbers to pose as owners and sell land through real agents.
What it can mean
A sale is being set up in your name. It may close before any deed is filed.
What to do today
Call the listing agent and the title company named, and tell them you are the owner and are not selling. Then report it at ic3.gov.
Search your address on big home-sale websites every few months, especially for land or a home you don't live in.
Vacant land is the top target for seller impersonation
Share of title companies rating each kind of property as a target, 2026
Show the numbers
| Vacant land | 82% |
|---|---|
| Owner lives elsewhere | 72% |
| Owned free and clear | 68% |
| Owner recently died | 55% |
Source: ALTA 2026 Critical Issues Study, via HousingWire, September 14, 2026. For vacant land, 82% of firms rated it "at least somewhat common." In the same study, 59% of title firms saw at least one seller impersonation attempt in the past year, up from 28% in 2024.
Did your utility bills change, jump or stop?
A utility account moved into someone else's name, or a sudden jump in usage, can mean a stranger is living in or using your home. New York's Attorney General warns owners to act "if your utility bills increase suddenly."
What it can mean
Someone has moved in, or is posing as the owner to set up service.
What to do today
Call each utility. Ask whose name is on the account and when it changed. Then check the county record.
In Brooklyn, prosecutors say a woman filed a forged deed giving herself a dead owner's house for "$10," then moved in and "opened a utility account, receiving gas service" there (Brooklyn DA, June 17, 2025). A neighbor called the District Attorney to report suspicious activity. The charges are accusations.
Are strangers working on or visiting the property?
Workers, movers, surveyors or buyers you didn't send can mean someone is acting as the owner. Neighbors and tenants often spot this first.
What it can mean
Someone is fixing up, renting out or showing your property as if it were theirs.
What to do today
Ask who sent them, without arguing. Write down names, phone numbers and license plates. Then check your record, and call the police if the deed isn't yours.
"The notary papers had scratches on them. My signature was clearly fraudulent."
A judge later dismissed the fake owners' claim to her land. Ask a neighbor to call you if they see anything unusual at a home you don't live in.
What should you do first if you see a sign?
Check your county record, then report anything fake the same week. Speed matters: the sooner a fake deed is reported, the fewer sales and loans pile up on top of it.
- Look up your property record. Search your name or address on your county recorder's website. This is how to check if your deed has been stolen: the last deed should name you, or your trust or company. Get a copy of anything you don't recognize.
- Report a fake deed to the police. File a report with your local police or sheriff and keep the report number. In New York, also call the Attorney General's deed theft line at 1-800-771-7755 (NY AG).
- Report it to the FBI if money or the internet was involved. File at ic3.gov with the emails, phone numbers and bank details used (FBI).
- Call a real estate attorney and your title insurer. Undoing a fake deed usually takes a court filing. The FBI says standard owner's policies "may provide protection against forgery," so check yours.
- Freeze your credit. It's free and blocks new loans in your name. Our free protection steps show how.
Printable checklist: signs of home title theft
Print this and keep it with your house papers. Check each line once a year, and more often for land or a home you don't live in.
- My tax bill came on time, and the tax office has my name and mailing address.
- My mail is arriving, and I haven't had mail for strangers or a Move Validation letter.
- I read every letter from my county or city about my property.
- I recognize every loan paper and bill that came for this address.
- I'm signed up for my county's free fraud alert, and I checked any alert I got.
- My credit report shows no loans I didn't take out.
- My home isn't listed for sale or rent on home-sale websites.
- My utility accounts are in my name, with no sudden jumps.
- No strangers have been working at or visiting the property.
Can you spot home title theft before it happens?
Not with these signs alone. Each one shows up after a thief has already acted. County offices must record deeds that look proper. Seminole County's clerk says, "The Clerk has no legal authority to refuse a properly prepared document" (Seminole County Clerk).
Paid title monitoring has the same limit. The FTC calls these services "not a lock at all," because you'd only learn of a fake transfer after it happened (FTC). Our guide to home title protection compares the options, and our deed theft guide covers the whole picture.
Frequently asked questions
How do you know if your home title has been stolen?
Look up your property record on your county recorder's website. If the latest deed names someone else, or shows a loan you didn't take out, your title may have been stolen. Signs that should send you there include a missing tax bill, mail about a deed you didn't sign and an unexpected county alert.
Can I check my home title myself?
Yes. Most counties let you search property records online by name or address, and viewing them is usually free. That is enough to confirm the last deed is yours. A full title search for a sale or loan goes deeper, so buyers and lenders use a title company or attorney.
Can your home title be stolen if you have a mortgage?
Yes. A mortgage doesn't stop someone from forging and recording a deed. But your lender's statements and notices give you more chances to notice something is wrong. Homes owned free and clear draw more attention: 68% of title firms rated them a target in ALTA's 2026 study.
Does a trust protect your home from title theft?
Not on its own. A trust changes whose name is on the deed, but a criminal can still forge a trustee's signature. If your home is in a trust, sign up for your county's alert under the trust's name as well as your own, and watch for the same nine signs.
How often does home title theft happen?
There is no official national count of home title theft. The FBI received reports from 12,368 victims of online real estate fraud in 2025, who lost more than $275 million, but that covers many scams, not only stolen titles. Most homeowners will never face it, so calm, regular checks make more sense than worry.
Is Home Title Lock legit?
Home Title Lock is a real company that watches property records and alerts you to changes. The FTC says title lock services are "not a lock at all": they tell you about a fake deed after it's filed and can't stop one. Many counties send the same kind of alert for free.
Print the checklist, then check your record
It takes a few minutes to look up your deed on your county's website. Then see whether a recorded notice makes sense for your home.
Print the checklistSee how Still My Home worksSources
- Consumer guide: Understanding and protecting yourself from title fraud, National Association of Realtors, April 22, 2025
- Deed theft, New York State Office of the Attorney General, checked October 13, 2026
- The Miami Times: Victory against elder abuse in Shirley Gibson case, Office of the Miami-Dade State Attorney, June 22, 2021
- What to know about identity theft, Federal Trade Commission, September 2024
- Home title fraud, California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, checked October 13, 2026
- Standard forward mail and change of address, U.S. Postal Service, checked October 13, 2026
- Deed theft brochure, NYC Department of Finance, 2026
- Enhanced Homeowner Notification Program, Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, updated November 19, 2024
- New York indicts two under the state's new deed theft law, ConsumerAffairs, August 11, 2025
- Property fraud alerts, Seminole County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, checked October 13, 2026
- Woman who filed fake deeds to steal Hillsborough homes gets 15 years in prison, WFLA News Channel 8, via Yahoo News, 2025
- You now have permanent access to free weekly credit reports, Federal Trade Commission, January 4, 2024
- Protect your property from illegal sales through parcel owner impersonation (I-061626-PSA), FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, June 16, 2026
- Seller impersonation fraud more than doubled since 2024, HousingWire, September 14, 2026 (ALTA 2026 Critical Issues Study)
- Brooklyn woman arraigned on indictment charging her with stealing Sheepshead Bay home, Kings County District Attorney's Office, June 17, 2025
- New Texas laws protecting against deed fraud add criminal penalties, restitution, Spectrum News, September 19, 2025
- Home title lock insurance? Not a lock at all, Federal Trade Commission, August 26, 2024
- Online real estate fraud climbed to $275M in 2025, FBI says, National Association of Realtors, April 13, 2026