Deed fraud, a scheme in which criminals forge a signature and record a fake deed to sell someone else's property, cost Arizona property owners $50 million last year, and Hispanics, seniors and absentee owners are being targeted most.

With $1.3 billion in reported national losses from more than 58,000 victims of deed fraud from 2019 through 2023, the FBI says "true losses are likely far higher because many victims never report or never discover the crime."

Victims often don't find out their property was sold out from under them until after the fact, and until now, the only way to reclaim it was to sue. The Tucson Association of Realtors has launched a campaign to fight back.

The "Protect Your Title" campaign was created in partnership with the National Association of Realtors and Stewart Title & Trust. Its goal is to enroll Pima County property owners in a free service that alerts them to suspicious activity by notifying them whenever a document is recorded in their name.

With less than 2% of the county's estimated 440,000 property owners enrolled in the Pima County Recorder's Office Fraud Notify program, TAR is working to get the word out while also offering services of its own.

Its deed fraud class is open to the public for free Saturday, Oct. 17, starting at 10 a.m. at 2445 N. Tucson Blvd.

Lisa Nutt, TAR's vice president of education and school administrator, said the class covers what deed fraud is, what it looks like and how criminals carry it out, and walks attendees through enrolling in the notification system step by step.

The campaign's website, ProtectYourTitle.org, links directly to the enrollment page. Signing up takes just two steps and a few minutes, but the alert system only helps owners who actually register.

The risk isn't spread evenly. Southern Arizona is a frequent target because of its large inventory of undeveloped parcels and properties with out-of-state owners.

Until recently, the penalty for getting caught didn't reflect the scale of the problem.

"Prior to the legislation which was adopted earlier this year and went into effect on September 12, if you committed deed fraud and were charged, it was a misdemeanor," said TAR Government Affairs Director Shawn Cote.

Arizona's new deed fraud law, SB 1479, made filing false property documents a Class 5 felony. It also requires photo identification to record documents in person and requires every county recorder to offer an owner alert system by Jan. 1, 2027.

TAR has advocated on the issue since 2022 and introduced the industry's first deed fraud continuing education class in 2024. The course is now required for every Arizona real estate licensee.

TAR's multiple listing service has blocked more than 2,400 attempted fraudulent listings through its Property Shield service since 2025, according to the association.

TAR isn't done pushing for change. The next step in its advocacy effort is what Cote called a statute of repose, a legal process already in place in four or five other states.

"What that is, is a much simpler and expedited legal process. Rather than having to spend thousands of dollars and wait years, a statue of resignation creates a process for the rightful owner to petition a court and say, 'I'm the rightful owner, I'm the victim of this crime. Here's my proof,'" Cote said.

After what's usually a 90- to 120-day window, the judge has the statutory authority to restore the title to the rightful owner.

"Within three, four and five months it can be done versus in a civil lawsuit, probably two to three years minimum usually and thousands of dollars," Cote said. "Until we get to a statute of repose that expedites the return of the title to the rightful owner, we're going to keep working on this."

Founded in 1921, the Tucson Association of Realtors represents more than 5,800 real estate professionals across the region.

Abril Ruiz is a student at the University of Arizona School of Journalism and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact her at abrilruiz@arizona.edu.

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