A fraudster finds a vacant lot with no mortgage, owned by someone who lives three states away. Using the owner’s name, birth date, and a spoofed email address, the fraudster contacts a real estate agent, lists the property below market value, and pushes for a fast, all-cash closing. The documents come back signed and notarized. The real owner has no idea any of it is happening.
This is seller impersonation fraud, and title professionals are seeing much more of it.
The Numbers: A Sharp Rise in Two Years
The American Land Title Association (ALTA) released its 2026 Seller Impersonation Fraud Study this week, based on a spring 2026 survey of 245 title insurance professionals across 40 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The findings show a problem that is growing fast:
- 59% of title firms reported at least one seller impersonation fraud attempt in the prior calendar year, up from 28% in ALTA’s 2024 survey.
- 45% reported an attempt in the month before the survey, up from 19%.
- 25% of firms that saw an attempt also reported a paid claim tied to the fraud. Among those that disclosed claim costs, half said the amount exceeded $100,000.
Federal law enforcement is sounding the same alarm. In April 2025, the FBI Boston Division warned of a “steady increase” in quitclaim deed fraud, reporting 2,301 victims and more than $61.5 million in real estate fraud losses across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island from 2019 through 2023.
How Fraudsters Choose Their Targets
Seller impersonation schemes work best when the real owner is unlikely to notice. According to the FBI, scammers search public property records for vacant land and properties with no mortgage or other lien, then pose as the owner to list and sell.
ALTA’s survey data, as reported by Realtor.com, reflects that pattern. Vacant land remains the most commonly reported target, cited by 82% of respondents. Absentee ownership (72%) and properties owned free and clear (68%) were also rated at least somewhat common among targeted properties.
The target pool is getting wider, though. The share of respondents who called primary residences a somewhat common target rose 13 percentage points from 2024, to 25%. Vacation homes, rental properties, and agricultural land also showed double-digit increases. The FBI Newark Division noted this shift as well: as real estate professionals became more familiar with vacant land schemes, fraudsters started moving on to other property types.
The Tactics Are Getting More Convincing
Today’s impersonators often arrive with a surprising amount of accurate personal information. Among ALTA survey respondents, as reported by Realtor.com:
- 87% said spoofed contact information was at least somewhat common
- 70% reported criminals using the real owner’s birth date
- 60% cited knowledge of the owner’s financial information
- 55% cited use of Social Security numbers
For the first time, ALTA also asked about deepfakes. Fifty-eight percent of respondents rated deepfake images or voices as at least somewhat common in these schemes. When a voice on the phone or a face on a video call can be faked, a convincing conversation is no longer proof of identity.
The Entity Angle: When the “Seller” Is an LLC
Most coverage of seller impersonation fraud focuses on individual homeowners. But property held by a business entity carries its own risk.
Florida real estate attorney Romy B. Jurado described a case to Realtor.com in which criminals allegedly manipulated control of an LLC that owned real estate, then caused its properties to be sold to third-party buyers. The FBI got involved and arrests followed. By then, however, the properties had already changed hands.
“Catching the criminal and recovering the property or money are entirely different issues,” Jurado told Realtor.com.
This is where entity due diligence matters. When the seller is an LLC or corporation, the question is not only whether the entity owns the property, but whether the person signing actually has authority to act for it. Recent changes to an entity’s registered agent, managers, officers, or principal address, especially changes filed shortly before a sale, deserve a closer look. So does an entity that is inactive, administratively dissolved, or recently reinstated. Comparing Secretary of State filings over time, along with lien and UCC records, can help surface inconsistencies before closing rather than after.
What Are the Red Flags of Seller Impersonation Fraud?
Based on guidance from ALTA and the FBI, watch for these warning signs:
- A seller who avoids meetings or calls. Excuses for why they cannot meet in person or join a video call are a common pattern.
- Mail-away signings or a seller-chosen notary. ALTA flags both. The FBI recommends verifying notary signatures directly with the notary.
- Pressure for speed. Requests for a quick, all-cash sale, often at a price below market value.
- Electronic-only communication. Reliance on email, text, and e-signatures, sometimes from international VOIP numbers or unusual email addresses.
- Properties that fit the profile. Vacant land, absentee owners, and properties with no mortgage or liens.
- Contact details that don’t match the records. The FBI suggests requesting original tax bills and sending certified letters to the owner’s address of record.
- Recent, unexplained entity changes. New managers, officers, or registered agents at an LLC or corporation just before a sale.
ALTA’s study found that 94% of title firms now use multiple fraud detection tools, averaging 5.3 per firm, with ID verification, direct seller contact, and multifactor authentication rated among the most effective. No single check is enough. Layered verification is the standard.
Why the Paper Trail Still Matters
The same public records that fraudsters use to pick targets are also one of the best tools for catching them. A fake voice can sound convincing. A spoofed email can look legitimate. But a documented chain of ownership, entity filings, recorded liens, and tax records tells its own story, and inconsistencies in that story are often the first sign that something is wrong.
As ALTA’s Chief Strategy Officer put it, “vigilance, expertise and layered defenses remain among the industry’s most effective tools.”
Accurate, human-verified public records research gives title agents, attorneys, and lenders a reliable foundation to check a seller’s story against the facts before funds change hands.
If You Suspect Fraud
The FBI encourages anyone who suspects real estate fraud to report it through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov or at tips.fbi.gov. According to the FBI Newark Division, acting quickly matters: when reported early, wire transfers can sometimes be stopped.
Property owners can also reduce their risk by enrolling in property or title alert programs offered by many county recorders and clerks, periodically checking public records for their property, and paying attention to missing or unexpected tax and utility bills.
This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney for guidance specific to your transaction.
About Capitol Lien
Capitol Lien empowers real estate and title professionals with trusted public record research and due diligence services nationwide. With 36 years of experience, Capitol Lien specializes in fast, accurate property and title searches, lien reports, and document retrieval that help title agents, underwriters, and legal teams operate their businesses with confidence.
Sources
- American Land Title Association. “Seller Impersonation Fraud Study.” 2026. https://www.alta.org/business-operations/research-initiatives-and-resources/critical-issue-studies/seller-impersonation-fraud-study
- American Land Title Association. “ALTA Study Finds Seller Impersonation Fraud Attempts More Than Double.” PR Newswire, September 2026. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alta-study-finds-seller-impersonation-fraud-attempts-more-than-double-302876805.html
- Conte, Allaire. “Scammers Are Trying To Sell Homes They Don’t Own, and Attempts Have More Than Doubled.” Realtor.com, September 14, 2026. https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/seller-impersonation-fraud-home-title-scam-alta-survey/
- Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “FBI Boston Warns Quit Claim Deed Fraud Is on the Rise.” April 1, 2025. https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/boston/news/fbi-boston-warns-quit-claim-deed-fraud-is-on-the-rise-
- Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Division. “Fraudsters Are Stealing Land Out from Under Owners.” May 28, 2024. https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/newark/news/fraudsters-are-stealing-land-out-from-under-owners
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