Arizona Deed Fraud On The Rise - Ownership Stolen

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Arizona Attorney General’s Office Warns Homeowners About Deed Fraud

August 22, 2022 ADI Staff Reporter https://arizonadailyindependen...

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is warning Arizonans about “a disturbing trend” over the past couple of years involving deed fraud.

Since January of 2021, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has received 65 complaints from homeowners, claiming their home was no longer in their name after someone fraudulently forged their signature on a warranty deed and filed it with the county recorder. In many cases, the criminal quickly sold the home and took off with the money.

Criminal investigators with the AGO say homeowners who live in their homes and carry a mortgage are less likely to experience deed fraud. The crime is most common in houses that are empty, rentals owned by corporations or people who live out of state, or homes where someone has recently passed away.