04/21/2026
Most homeowners think their state protects them from deed theft. A new report shows that's often not true. EquityProtect today released the Property Protection Scorecard — the first quarterly report grading all 50 states on their legal protections against property title fraud.
The findings are sobering:
-16 states have no deed-fraud law on the books
-58,000+ victims reported real estate fraud to the FBI between 2019–2023, with $1.3B in combined losses
-Seniors absorb 44% of all dollar losses despite being just 19% of victims
-Reversing a stolen title costs victims $50K–$150K in legal fees — even in states with strong criminal statutes
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The counterintuitive part: Passing a law doesn't stop the fraud. County recorders process nearly 300,000 documents a day and cannot verify identities in real time. A fraudulent deed can be recorded in minutes. Most victims don't find out until they try to sell or refinance — sometimes years later.
Legislation is a step. It is not protection.
See how your state scores: https://lnkd.in/gtzuK9hz
