There are two main types of total title fraud. The most common one is when a fraudster uses a fake ID to pose as a homeowner. They find the owner’s name through land title searches and use that along with a photo of themselves. Then the fraudster hires a legitimate real estate agent to list the property. Buyers typically only deal with the agent, so from their perspective, everything seems to be on the up and up. Once the sale closes and the funds are deposited into a bank account—which is also created using fake IDs—the fraudsters empty the account. The second, and more rare, type of total title fraud occurs when both the homeowners and buyers are imposters.
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