Lauren Albrecht, the president of Florida Title and Trust, quickly noticed something was off when her title company received a contract for the sale of a vacant lot in Hallandale Beach. She discovered that property tax bills for the lot had been sent to Nassau, Bahamas, since 1978 and received a driver’s license from West Virginia. Albrecht requested a proof of life video and was met with pushback, claiming the owner was hard of hearing.
After receiving an unexpected email stating the seller was ready for a video call, Albrecht realized the video was fake as the woman in the video did not react to her requests. This raised concerns about how many title companies would have accepted the fake video as proof of life.
Marty Kiar, Broward County’s property appraiser, commended the title company for handling the situation correctly. He warned that scammers are using fake videos to deceive closing agents and urged people to be vigilant. Albrecht conducted a reverse image search on the identification provided by the scammer and found that the image matched a woman from California who had been reported missing years ago.
Kiar advised people to be cautious if a seller only communicates through text or email, as this could be a red flag. He recommended signing up for alerts in case there are any title changes associated with your property. Residents of Broward County can learn more about the program, and those in Miami-Dade County can sign up for the fraud alert program.
It is essential to be aware of the warning signs of title fraud and take necessary precautions to protect yourself from scammers. By staying vigilant and verifying the legitimacy of sellers and transactions, you can prevent falling victim to fraudulent schemes. Remember to always conduct thorough research and seek assistance from professionals when dealing with real estate transactions to ensure your security and peace of mind.