Protect your home: How “title pirates” could be scamming you right now, according to the FBI
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When you think of pirates, you might picture treasure maps and high-seas adventures.
But today’s pirates are operating far from the ocean—and their target could be your home.
Across America, an alarming new threat has emerged: title pirates. These modern-day fraudsters are hijacking property ownership with shocking ease.
And now, the FBI is warning homeowners to stay on high alert.
The Boston division of the FBI recently sounded the alarm over a rising wave of land scams and property thefts nationwide.
Unlike traditional burglars, these criminals use digital tools and forged documents to impersonate property owners.
With just a few falsified signatures, they can sell land or homes right out from under the rightful owners.
The I-Team at CBS News uncovered heartbreaking stories of victims who never imagined they would fall prey to such a scam.
Halla Shami Jakari thought her vacant land in Concord was safely hers—until she found out that someone had stolen it and sold it to a new buyer who had already begun construction.
“They stole our dream,” her husband, Omar, said.
Meanwhile, John Grimes of Plymouth discovered that his home—where he had lived for six years—was suddenly listed for sale without his knowledge.
A lawyer contacted him to confirm the transaction, and an engineering firm even knocked on his door with a plot plan in hand.
Also read: Discover the smart scam alert that could protect your bank account!
Grimes quickly realized he was caught in the middle of a scam involving a forged purchase and sale agreement using his signature.
"I explained to him don't do anything you are caught up in a scam! I was just like, 'Oh my god this is still happening'," Grimes recalled.
His parents had also nearly lost their Cape Cod land to similar fraud years earlier.
Now, he has signed up for free property alerts to prevent it from happening again.
While the FBI cannot comment on specific cases, Special Agent Vivian Barrios explained that elderly property owners are particularly vulnerable.
They often own vacant land or homes outright, making them prime targets.
Barrios emphasized the need for quick reporting: “We find that within a 24-hour window we can sometimes get to the money before it's left the account and the banks together with us can sometimes get the money back to the victims.”
The scale of the problem is staggering. Between 2019 and 2023, approximately 2,301 residents across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island reported land thefts totaling over $61.5 million in losses.
Nationally, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded 58,141 real estate theft victims, with losses surpassing $1.3 billion.
Read next: FCC warns homeowners about dangerous mortgage lending scam
Have you or someone you know been impacted by title theft scams? What precautions do you take to protect your home? Share your experiences and tips with us in the comments below. Let’s work together to outsmart these modern-day pirates and keep our homes safe.
But today’s pirates are operating far from the ocean—and their target could be your home.
Across America, an alarming new threat has emerged: title pirates. These modern-day fraudsters are hijacking property ownership with shocking ease.
And now, the FBI is warning homeowners to stay on high alert.
The Boston division of the FBI recently sounded the alarm over a rising wave of land scams and property thefts nationwide.
Unlike traditional burglars, these criminals use digital tools and forged documents to impersonate property owners.
With just a few falsified signatures, they can sell land or homes right out from under the rightful owners.
The I-Team at CBS News uncovered heartbreaking stories of victims who never imagined they would fall prey to such a scam.
An alarming new threat has emerged: title pirates. These modern-day fraudsters are hijacking property ownership with shocking ease. Image source: On Shot / Pexels
Halla Shami Jakari thought her vacant land in Concord was safely hers—until she found out that someone had stolen it and sold it to a new buyer who had already begun construction.
“They stole our dream,” her husband, Omar, said.
Meanwhile, John Grimes of Plymouth discovered that his home—where he had lived for six years—was suddenly listed for sale without his knowledge.
A lawyer contacted him to confirm the transaction, and an engineering firm even knocked on his door with a plot plan in hand.
Also read: Discover the smart scam alert that could protect your bank account!
Grimes quickly realized he was caught in the middle of a scam involving a forged purchase and sale agreement using his signature.
"I explained to him don't do anything you are caught up in a scam! I was just like, 'Oh my god this is still happening'," Grimes recalled.
His parents had also nearly lost their Cape Cod land to similar fraud years earlier.
Now, he has signed up for free property alerts to prevent it from happening again.
While the FBI cannot comment on specific cases, Special Agent Vivian Barrios explained that elderly property owners are particularly vulnerable.
They often own vacant land or homes outright, making them prime targets.
Barrios emphasized the need for quick reporting: “We find that within a 24-hour window we can sometimes get to the money before it's left the account and the banks together with us can sometimes get the money back to the victims.”
The scale of the problem is staggering. Between 2019 and 2023, approximately 2,301 residents across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island reported land thefts totaling over $61.5 million in losses.
Nationally, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center recorded 58,141 real estate theft victims, with losses surpassing $1.3 billion.
Read next: FCC warns homeowners about dangerous mortgage lending scam
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