Orange County Remains Watchful For Fraudulent Deed Activity: How To Know If You've Been Scammed

ORANGE COUNTY, CA —Get a letter in the mail about your property? It might be due to fraud prevention practices by the Orange County Clerk-Recorder's office. In a recent announcement, Orange County Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen stated that all Orange County homeowners will continue to receive fraud-prevention notices from the county when certain real estate documents are recorded on their property.

Known as the Real Property Fraud Prevention Courtesy Notice program, it is intended to help homeowners identify possible real estate fraud early by alerting them when documents such as grant deeds, quitclaim deeds, trustee’s deeds, or notices of default are recorded on their property, according to Nguyen's statement.

Each notice includes a copy of the first page of the recorded document so property owners can review the transaction and determine whether it is legitimate, according to the Clerk-Recorder’s Office.

“These notices have been critical in helping property owners spot suspicious activity early,” Nguyen said. “With countywide support, we are ensuring that fraud prevention remains a top priority.”

The Clerk-Recorder’s Office also continues to partner with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to give homeowners a direct way to report suspected fraud.

Homeowners who receive a courtesy notice and believe the recorded transaction may be fraudulent are encouraged to contact the Orange County District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit at REFraud@ocdapa.org.

The program has expanded over the years to include a broader range of document types and remains one of the county’s proactive tools aimed at preventing real estate fraud, according to the Clerk-Recorder’s Office.

Residents with questions can call the Clerk-Recorder’s information line at 714-834-2500 during normal business hours, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays.

What can you do if you suspect such fraudulent activity?

Immediately contact your local police department if:

• You receive unexplained property documents or the information on the document(s) has been altered after you signed it;
• You receive documents that you didn't sign or you believe the person signing the document was incompetent or deceased at the time of signing;
• You didn’t sell, borrow or make a gift transfer of property yet receive notifications to that effect; or
• You believe a fraud or misrepresentation has occurred in a transaction with which you were involved.

The Orange County District Attorney's Consumer Protection Unit prosecutes unfair business practices. The unit reviews and/or investigates complaints involving misrepresentation and deceptive practices related to the sale or advertising of goods and services.

Click here to download a real estate fraud report form.

Click here for tips on preparing your complaint form.