08/18/2026
When DaNita Batiste went online to pay annual taxes on her family property, she was shocked to see a new corporate owner listed. International scammers had forged her name on a quitclaim/warranty deed using a fake ID and pocketed the proceeds. DaNita found out the hard way that because public records are accessible online, sophisticated crime rings look for properties with no active mortgages, target absentee owners, and file forged deeds.
Do you have a property that might be at risk? Take these 2 crucial steps to safeguard it.
1) Get an Enhanced Homeowner’s Title Policy: Unlike standard policies that only cover past issues, enhanced homeowner title policies protect against post-policy title theft, forgery, and impersonation.
2) Perform Regular Title Checks: Set up fraud alerts with your county clerk’s office. Consult a local title company (ah hem....www.titleinsuranceco.com😅) if you notice odd activity or missing tax bills.
Here's the full article: https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/louisiana-real-estate-scam-fraudulent-deed/