Is Someone Stealing Your Home?
Search any US property's deed history for red-flag indicators — instant HFD Fraud Scan™.
NAR Real Estate Today, 2026
Criminals use 5 data points to pick their next victim: equity, vacancy, transfer history, mortgage coverage, and title exposure. HFD Fraud Scan scans all five. This is the search they run on your home. Run it first.
Who are you here for?
I own a home and want to protect it
Search your deed, scan suspicious messages, and learn how to enroll in your county recorder's free document-alert program.
I'm a real estate professional
Get HFDCP™ certified, access fraud tools, and protect your clients at every transaction.
Real Estate Fraud Takes 4 Forms — We Defend Against All of Them
Home Fraud Defense™ covers every type of real estate fraud in one place — deed theft, wire fraud, unauthorized listings, and closing scams — before, during, and after you own.
Deed & Title Theft
A fraudster forges your signature on a deed transfer, files it with the county recorder, and legally becomes the new owner of your home. They can then take out loans against it or sell it — all while you're still living there.
Deed fraud is rising across high-risk states including FL, TX, CA, NY, and IL — FBI IC3 data.
Wire Redirect & Closing Fraud
Days before closing, a scammer — posing as your title company or lender — emails updated wire instructions. You send your down payment or closing funds to their account instead. Wire transfers are irreversible. FBI IC3 recorded $2.77 billion in business email compromise losses in 2024 alone.
1 in 4 real estate transactions involves a wire fraud attempt (CertifID 2025). Wired funds are rarely recovered.
Unauthorized Listings
Scammers list your home for sale or rent on Zillow, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Realtor.com — without your knowledge. They collect deposits and first/last month's rent from multiple victims, then vanish. Your home becomes a crime scene you didn't know existed.
Vacation homes and vacant properties are primary targets. Run a free educational search any time to see whether your address is currently visible on major listing platforms.
Fake Title Companies & Closing Scams
Criminals set up fake title companies and escrow offices — complete with websites, phone numbers, and forged credentials. Buyers and sellers hand over earnest money and closing funds to what they believe is a licensed title agent. The company disappears after the transfer.
Always verify your title company's license independently. Use our HFD Registry to check any company before closing.
For Real Estate Professionals
Protect Your Clients. Grow Your Business.
Agents earn referral commissions by connecting clients. Brokerages document team due diligence for E&O. Title companies add a fraud check to every closing.
Agents & Title Professionals
Earn the HFDCP™ designation. Get a national directory listing, client-facing fraud tools, and 25% referral commissions when clients subscribe. ADRE-approved CE available (Arizona). From $399.
Brokerages & Teams
License HFDCP™ certification for your entire team. Documents your agents' fraud due diligence to your E&O insurer. Per-agent pricing — Starter from $1,997/yr.
Title & Escrow Companies
Cross-reference any property against the HFD Registry before you issue a commitment. Share wire fraud safety tools with every buyer at closing.
Simple. Instant. Free.
How Home Fraud Defense™ Works
Search any US property
Enter any address from our database of 158M+ US properties. We pull ownership records, deed history, and active listing data.
Get your Property Visibility Check
We pull live public records and surface the five signals criminals actually look for: ownership records, equity position, occupancy signals, marketplace listings, and contact discoverability — with the data behind each signal explained in plain English.
Turn on free county recorder alerts
Most U.S. county recorders run a free document-alert program — enroll your parcel and get an email or text the moment any document is filed against your deed. The county is the authoritative source. An HFDCP™-certified pro is trained to walk you through the right portal at no charge.
For Homeowners
Watch Your Deed. Know the Moment It Changes.
Deed theft happens silently. HFD Fraud Scan monitors your county deed records so you don't have to.
Free Public Toolkit
HFD Fraud Scan
A free public search and education toolkit. Look up any U.S. property's deed and current owner of record, scan suspicious messages, verify wire instructions, and learn how to enroll in your county recorder's free document-alert program. Most U.S. counties run these alerts at no cost — and an HFDCP™-certified pro is trained to walk you through enrollment.
Learn about HFDCP™ Membership →An ADRE-approved fraud education school — not a paid monitoring service.
Real estate professional? The HFD Registry is a separate, professional-grade due-diligence tool.
Common Questions
Everything You Need to Know About Home Fraud Protection
What is deed theft and how does it happen?
Deed theft occurs when a criminal forges your signature on a deed transfer and files it with your county recorder's office. Once recorded, the fraudulent deed is legally recognized — making the criminal the official owner of your property. They can then take out mortgages against it, sell it, or rent it. It most commonly targets paid-off homes, elderly owners, vacant properties, and rentals where no one watches for mail.
What is real estate wire fraud and how do I protect myself?
Real estate wire fraud is a closing scam where a criminal — posing as your title company, lender, or agent — sends fake wire instructions just before closing. You wire your down payment to the scammer's account instead of the real title company. Wire transfers are nearly impossible to reverse. The FBI recorded $2.77 billion in business email compromise losses in 2024 alone. Always call your title company at a number you verified independently before wiring any funds.
Is the property search really free and does it require a signup?
Yes — completely free, and your search is never stored or sold. You can search any of 158M+ US properties right now and get your full Property Visibility Check and ownership history instantly. The free search is always available with no limits and no login. For an ongoing alert program, most U.S. county recorders offer free document-alert enrollment directly — and an HFDCP™-certified pro can help you locate the right portal and walk through your records.
Fraud Prevention Resource Center
Know What to Watch For
Warning Signs of Home Title Theft
Most victims don't know until they try to sell or refinance. These are the 8 red flags every homeowner needs to recognize — before it's too late.
Real Estate Wire Fraud: How Closing Scams Work
Real estate fraud cost Americans $275M across 12,368+ victims in 2025 — FBI IC3. Here's exactly how the scam unfolds and the one call that stops it cold.
Become the Fraud Defense Expert in Your Market
The HFDCP™ platform gives agents, lenders, and title officers the credentials, tools, and community to make fraud protection a competitive advantage.
Earn the Home Fraud Defense Certified Professional™ designation — coursework delivered through an ADRE-approved fraud education school, available to professionals nationwide. CE credit available for Arizona licensees; check with your state licensing board for reciprocity. Starts at $399.
Get Certified →Monthly briefings on fraud trends, new tactics, and actionable protocols — free by email.
Read Briefs →Bulk HFDCP™ licensing for your whole team — managed from one admin dashboard. Starts at $1,997/year.
See Team Plans →Search the national directory of HFDCP™ certified agents, lenders, and title officers in your area.
Search the Property Fraud Registry
Search any property for known fraud history, submit suspected fraud transactions, and protect your clients — all in one professional tool built for real estate agents nationwide.
Access Property Fraud RegistryFree for real estate professionals — Pro plan available