Home and auto title theft have emerged as some of the newer forms of identity theft. These crimes can lead to devastating financial losses and legal battles for unsuspecting victims, who often remain unaware until significant damage has been done. Understanding the mechanics of these crimes and taking proactive measures to protect your assets is crucial in safeguarding your property and financial well-being.

What You Need to Know About Title Theft

Home title theft, also known as deed fraud, involves the fraudulent transfer of property ownership. Once the fraud has taken place a thief can take out loans against your home, sell it, or use it for other nefarious purposes. This happens when a criminal gains access to your private information and signs a deed transfer or other real estate documents.

Auto title theft occurs when a criminal steals the title to a vehicle, allowing them to sell it, use it as collateral for loans, or commit other fraudulent activities without the owner’s knowledge. This is done by a thief stealing your personal information and creating a duplicate title.

While home and auto title theft can cause significant damage and financial loss it’s a crime that is not very common due to difficulty. Many times even if a criminal is able to pull off the successful theft of your title they are eventually caught and your finances and title end up okay. However, if you prefer to not gamble with the small odds of financial destruction, then you should consider taking extra steps to prevent home and auto title theft or get expert help to undo the damages if something were to happen.

7 Steps to Help Prevent Home and Auto Title Theft

While it is not completely possible to prevent home or auto title theft, there are things you can do to help prevent it from happening. Here are the steps we recommend.

1 – Regularly monitor your property records: Check your property records with your county recorder or land registry office to ensure no unauthorized changes have been made.

2 – Keep your vehicle title in a safe place: If a criminal gets their hands on your vehicle’s title it makes it very easy for them to make a duplicate title and commit fraudulent activities. Prevent this by storing your auto title in a secure spot.

3 – Secure your personal and financial information: Keep your personal information, such as your social security number, financial details, and property documents, secure and private. Avoid sharing sensitive information online or over the phone unless absolutely necessary and with trusted entities. You can also consider subscribing to an online data removal service to limit the amount of your personal and property information floating around on the web.

4 – Be cautious of unsolicited offers: Beware of unsolicited offers to buy your home or refinance your mortgage. Scammers often use these tactics to obtain your property details. Be sure to verify the legitimacy of any offers through independent research or by consultation with a trusted professional.

5 – Monitor your credit report for unusual activity: Check your credit report frequently for any unusual activity. If you do notice suspicious activity, get in touch with the credit bureaus and look into legal action if necessary.

6 – Use a homeowner’s insurance policy that includes coverage for title fraud: Some insurance policies offer protection against title fraud, providing financial and legal support if you become a victim.

7 – Get title theft protection: Consider subscribing to a title protection service to assist with title theft recovery should this ever happen to you. iDefend offers full title theft recovery and up to $1 million dollars in coverage for lawyers and experts, stolen funds, and expense reimbursement if necessary.

By following these steps, you can significantly reduce the risk of home and auto title theft and protect yourself and finances from fraudulent activities. 

Don’t Want to Face Title Theft Alone? iDefend Can Help

Good news for current iDefend customers – you are covered against title theft. Watch for alerts and sign into your iDefend account to make sure all your monitored information is up to date.  

Everyone needs a personalized protection and support service for the digital age. But not everyone has the time or expertise to do so. iDefend protects your asset titles, removes your personal and property information from the web, while protecting your identity, your money, and your credit.

Learn more and get protected today with iDefend. Try it risk free and save 30%.