Property is a valuable asset that can be an attractive target for fraudsters. Recent cases have been reported which highlight a scam involving a tenant who takes a tenancy of a property, then legally changes their name to that of the owner. They then use this new name and their address to steal the identity of the property owner and eventually sell the property. Although this type of fraud is rare, the consequences can be very costly for the victim. Vulnerable properties are considered to include any property that is unmortgaged and which has an absentee owner, such as rented homes, homes where the owner has moved abroad, empty homes where the owner has moved into care and probate properties.
The Land Registry has a property alert service which was created to help owners of registered properties detect property fraud. You can monitor up to 10 registered properties in England and Wales. The Land Registry will send you an alert each time there is significant activity that may result in a change to the register of the property you are monitoring. The email will supply you with details of who you can contact if the activity seems suspicious or unexpected. The service can be used by non-owners as well, such as family members when dealing with probate properties. More details, including the signing up process, can be found via https://propertyalert.landregistry.gov.uk/. The property must already be registered with the Land Registry to use this service. If you have a property that is unregistered, please contact a member of the Property team at Wake Smith Solicitors who can assist you through the first registration process. For further information please contact Claire Garrod on 0114 266 6660 or at [email protected]
