Tiffany's Take Rewind: What is Home Title Fraud? | Ep. 174

• Tiffany introduces the topic after reading about home title fraud in a financial magazine, expressing shock that the crime exists.

Home title fraud occurs when someone obtains the title of your property, usually by stealing your identity somehow. And then they change the ownership on your property title from your name to theirs.

• She notes it's rare but one of the fastest-growing cybercrime schemes, and victims may unknowingly continue paying on homes they no longer own.

• Tiffany recommends checking credit reports regularly and placing a credit freeze on all three bureaus when not actively seeking new credit.

I have had my credit reports frozen for at least like three years now... None of that stuff can happen when your credit is frozen.

• Freezing credit prevents thieves from taking out loans or HELOCs using your identity and property as collateral.

• Open every piece of mail, verify bill accuracy, and shred documents containing personal information rather than discarding them.

I open up every single piece of mail that comes to my house... I go ahead and shred that bad boy because I don't have time for that.

• Reviewing bills also helps catch price increases from service providers.

• Periodically check county deed office records to confirm your property ownership information remains accurate and unchanged.

Make sure what's on the county's deed office is correct every so often. Just make sure nothing has changed.

• Tiffany invites listeners who have experienced home title fraud or any title fraud to share their stories, emphasizing that awareness is the first defense.

Awareness is the first order of defense when any of these things come up.