Deed Theft / Title Fraud

A financial columnist for New York magazine fell victim to an elaborate multi-stage scam in which fraudsters impersonating Amazon, the Federal Trade Commission, and a CIA investigator convinced her to withdraw $50,000 and hand it to them in cash over the course of a five-hour phone call. The scammers exploited her vulnerability by threatening her family and creating a false sense of urgency, using isolation tactics to prevent her from seeking help or verification. She came forward with her story to highlight that scam victims span all demographics and professions, and that sophisticated scammers are skilled at identifying and exploiting individual vulnerabilities.

A woman filed a fraudulent deed claiming ownership of a high-end home in Raleigh, North Carolina, listing herself as both grantor and grantee; the actual homeowner, Craig Adams, stated he had never met the woman and had no connection to the fraudulent filing. When contacted by reporters, a man claiming to be the woman's attorney questioned what law was broken by recording the deed, highlighting the lack of accountability measures at the Wake County register of deeds.

The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on romance confidence scams (also called "pig butchering"), examining this multi-billion dollar fraud scheme that targets everyday Americans. The scam operates by building trust with victims over weeks or months before exploiting that confidence to extract money, with text-based contact attempts increasing dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator Bob Casey led a Senate Aging Committee hearing on fraud targeting older Americans, during which the committee released its annual "Fighting Fraud" resource book. The hearing addressed multiple scam types affecting seniors including grandparent scams, investment fraud, government impostor schemes, lottery scams, and tech support scams, while noting that scammers have become increasingly sophisticated in their tactics over recent years. The committee discussed both fraud prevention strategies and how federal law enforcement agencies respond to fraud reports.

Real estate fraud is at an all-time high, with fraudsters using tactics such as recording false deeds to squat in properties and passing bad checks to take control of homes. According to Tanner Herrick, Executive Vice President of Premier Title Company, his firm handles approximately 500 transactions monthly and encounters fraud cases every single week, leaving legitimate owners unable to remove fraudulent occupants. Common schemes include filing fraudulent deeds on properties and attempting to complete transactions with counterfeit cashier's checks.

This is an educational webinar presented by the IRS and FTC during National Tax Security Awareness Week that covers common identity theft and tax-related scams, methods for identifying and reporting fraud, the IRS Identity Protection PIN program, and resources for protecting against identity thieves. The 75-minute presentation includes technical guidance for participants and a live Q&A session to address audience questions about fraud prevention and recovery.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is seeking access to Social Security Administration data, claiming significant fraud exists in the system, with White House adviser Elon Musk alleging potential savings of over $1 trillion over a 10-year period by addressing fraud and waste. Musk cited irregularities such as Social Security numbers assigned to individuals with ages ranging from 0 to 369 and claims of more eligible Social Security numbers than U.S. citizens, though previous SSA audits in 2023 had already identified substantial fraud cases. The push for access reportedly led to the exit of SSA acting commissioner Michelle King.

Maine residents lost $31 million to cybercrime and scams in 2024, a 65% increase from $19 million in 2023, according to FBI data. Adults aged 60 and older accounted for $13 million (40%) of these losses, with tech support scams, government impersonation, and investment fraud being the primary threats to this age group. The FBI recommends reporting wire transfer fraud within 72 hours through IC3.gov to trigger a financial fraud response.

San Diego County seniors lost $100 million to scams in the past year, with one victim paying $1,700 in gift cards after a phone scammer impersonated a court official threatening arrest. A seminar in North County drew 250 seniors and local officials to educate the community on increasingly sophisticated scam tactics including fake court documents and deceptive pop-ups, as FBI data shows seniors nationally lost $4.8 billion to internet scammers in 2024—a 43% increase from the prior year.

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