Dirty deeds: How scammers use the internet to steal homeownership

CARMEL, N.Y.—Putnam County officials are alerting residents to a growing crime targeting homeowners: deed and title theft.

According to the New York State Attorney General's website, deed theft occurs when a thief takes the title to a home without the homeowner’s knowledge or approval. There are two common ways this crime happens. In cases of forgery, a thief fakes the homeowner’s signature on a deed and files it with the county clerk. In cases of fraud, the homeowner signs over their deed without realizing what they are signing, often because the thief makes false promises to help them.

And deed theft is on the rise. The FBI reported nearly 10,000 complaints in 2023 (with losses over $145 million), while a survey by the 2024 National Association of Realtors showed that 63 percent of real estate professionals encountered title fraud or deed theft in their markets over the previous year. Officials warn that technology and online access to records make it easier for bad actors to commit these crimes.

Now the Putnam County Clerk’s Office is trying to help homeowners protect themselves by being proactive.

County Clerk Michael Bartolotti and County Executive Kevin Byrne held a press conference last week to announce a new fraud alert program that the clerk’s office is offering to help combat deed theft.

Bartolotti said residents can go to putnamcountyny.gov and sign up.

“Title theft and deed theft is a big issue that is happening throughout the nation today,” he said. “Your home is your largest asset and something you spend your whole life investing in. With just some fraudulent strokes of a pen, it may be stolen from you. The longer time passes after the fraudulent act, the more difficult it is to undo it. The best way to combat it is to be informed right away when something is filed or recorded on the record that may affect your title.”

Bartolotti instructed homeowners to go to the county website’s homepage and click on “elected officials,” and then click on the prompt that will take you to the county clerk’s page.

Scroll down to the bottom and click “fraud alert.” A form will appear, and you can enter an email address.

“You can put in up to three names and have them all go to the same email account,” Bartolotti said. “Click ‘sign up’ and you are good to go. What will happen next is if anything gets filed or recorded in the county clerk’s office [regarding your property], that email address will give an alert to one of those names that you provided when you signed up. You will get a copy of what was recorded. And if it is fraudulent, you will have it right in your hands.

“We want to make sure you are informed about what is going on with your property, whether it is good or bad,” he added.

For more information, call the county clerk’s office at 845-808-1142.