How to protect your home from property fraud
With your property typically being the most valuable asset you own. It’s important you do whatever you can to protect it from the risk of property fraud.
Fraudsters target properties for fraud by taking the legal title to it. This is most commonly done by pretending to be you and either selling or mortgaging your home.
There is an increased risk of fraud when:
- a property is empty or has been bought to let
- an owner is spending time abroad or absent
- the owner is infirm or in a nursing or care home
- a relationship breaks down
- a property has no mortgage.
Additional security for owners not living at the registered property (Form RQ)
For owners who do not live at the registered property, there is a new security measure.
Under this measure you or your conveyancer can make a request using our form RQ asking the registrar to enter a restriction, free of charge.
This restriction means a dealing will not be registered, for example a transfer or a mortgage, unless a solicitor or other professional conveyancer certifies that they have checked the identity of the person who has signed the deed. This could help to prevent a fraudster forging a signature.
Form RQ lets you make a request for a restriction to be placed in the register of the title to your property.
Find out more about the process and what a restriction means, see more at: www.landregistry.gov.uk
We believe this will give property owners more peace of mind.
What do you think?