You’ve changed your passwords, digitally locked your credit and debit cards, but have you protected your home or property from fraudsters?

The crime of property fraud is growing, and Baldwin County realtors say they have seen an increase in thieves attempting to sell homes and land that they do not own. 

“What scam artists are doing is targeting out of state property owners. They call a realtor and say they are interested in selling their property, even though it’s not their property,” said Gulf Shores-based realtor Kristie Wheeles. 

Property fraud comes in many forms and includes criminals using forged documents to transfer ownership or using fake information to take loans against a property they do not own. 

In 2023, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received 9,521 complaints for real estate-based fraud, resulting in $145 million in reported losses. In 2024, reports indicate that one in 123 mortgage applications showed signs of fraud. 

Most title companies and real estate agents are on alert, Wheeles said, but the scammers are becoming more sophisticated. 

And, since property records are public, and available online, it is easy for scammers to gather names, ages, addresses — everything they need to create fake documentation to claim homes and land as their own. 

“They’ve gotten creative. A fake driver’s license is one thing, but I’ve received fake passports from scammers. This is a whole different level,” Wheeles said. 

She said most of the scams she has seen in the past year involve properties that are either vacant lots or wooded areas or rental properties. Out of state owners are easy targets, she added. 

“You’re not necessarily paying attention because you’re somewhere else,” she said. “They take advantage of that.”

This month the Baldwin County Judge of Probate’s office introduced a new tool to combat property fraud — GovOS Property Alert — a free real property fraud alert system.

The online system allows users to search for documents recorded against your property address or name. In turn, this allows users to react quicker if fraudsters attempt to sell their property or place a lien against them. 

How it works

Visit the Baldwin County Website.

Next to the search bar in the center of the page, click on Deeds and Records. 

Type in your name or property address and click “Search Index & Full Text (OCR)” under the search bar for the most results. 

This will bring up any documents related to the property address or your name in Baldwin County. And the search tool is preset to scan data from 1810 to the current calendar day, so it won’t miss a thing. 

Property owners can also set up an alert on the website to receive an email any time your name or entity name is used in a property filing with the county. 

The free service, provided by the Judge of Probate, is easy to set up. 

Visit the same website as above, https://baldwin.al.publicsearch.us/

At the top of the page, click on Property Alert and follow the instructions. 

If you own property outside of Baldwin County, contact that county or state to find out if they have a similar system. If they do not, you can set an alert on Zillow.com.

Visit Zillow.com and create an account. Then, type in your address. 

There will be an option on the property listing to claim the home. Click on that option and the system will take you through several steps that give you control over how your property is viewed online. 

The key to preventing property fraud is staying vigilant.

“I’m glad the judge of probate did this,” Wheeles said. “It really will help.”