![]() ![]() "The people who lent the money are going to have the issue there because they didn't do their due diligence in checking to make sure that the property was legitimately owned by the person getting the home equity loan, or any new buyer." "If that happens, it's not going to fall back on the person that's been victimized," Lanza explained. And if a buyer or a lender bypasses due diligence to rely on that forged deed - they are out of luck, not you. Possession cannot be conveyed to someone else. "It requires again, a lot of knowledge and forgeries on the signatures of the people selling the house, forgeries of a notarization, and then the county has to basically overlook all that stuff."Įven if a crook successfully forges a deed, it is still not valid. But unlike repeated claims of imminent danger in ads, he said title theft is not a common crime. Lanza said the Home Title Lock ads do contain a grain of truth: Someone with the know-how and perseverance can file paperwork electronically with a county to deed your home to him-or-herself. "It can realistically be done," said Jeff Lanza, former FBI agent who now advises people and businesses on how to stay safe from cybercrooks. That is not to say title theft cannot happen. A lot of notaries will have a commission number, and that's the state holding them accountable." "The state of Utah goes through a lot of verification processes, especially with the notary. "There's a lot of things that have to go in place to file the deed," he explained. (Photo: Josh Syzmanik, KSL-TV)ĭarmiento said he tells them title theft ain't that easy. Land records specialist Nathan Darmiento of the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office says ads warning of home title theft does spook residents, but he explains it is very hard for a criminal to pull off. "Woke up early in the morning, like, I really need to go check on these things." "I watched it late at night and I couldn't sleep," she said. ![]() While Barney said she did not appreciate the scare tactics, they raised concerns. They will monitor your title, 24/7, and alert you if there is any funny business. ![]() "All I know is that innocent children are out in the streets," said a woman identified as a victim in the ad.īut wait! Home Title Lock vows to prevent such a cruel fate for just $15. And then quickly mortgage or sell your home, without you knowing about it until it's too late. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, explains how cybercrooks can file a quitclaim deed to make your property theirs. I wouldn't want to lose my home that I've been paying on for however many years," Barney said. The Home Title Lock infomercial sure got Dana Barney's attention. The ominous ad is spooking homeowners across Utah, telling viewers that bad guys can steal homes right out from under homeowners.īut is it a service you really need to buy into? And how much of a threat is title theft? SALT LAKE CITY - "You have the perfect storm for a cybercriminal to steal your home," states an infomercial making a terrifying pitch for a subscription service that says it can shield your home from title theft. Reading or replaying the story in itsĪrchived form does not constitute a republication of the story. Only for your personal, non-commercial use.
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