Title Fraud and Real Estate Scams: How to Protect Your Home

Title fraud, where someone poses as an owner to sell or mortgage a home, can happen in BC, and similar tricks turn up in deposit and rental scams. Here is how these frauds work, how BC's land title system protects you, and the habits that make you a harder target.

The short version

How title fraud happens

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada describes title fraud as fraudsters stealing the title to your home: they sell it or take out a new mortgage against it. It usually starts with identity theft. With your personal information, or forged identification in your name, a fraudster can pose as you to a lender, a REALTOR® or a lawyer.

A related scheme, foreclosure fraud, targets owners who are behind on their mortgage: the fraudster offers a loan in exchange for the title, keeps the payments, then resells or refinances the home.

A presentation at a symposium held by the Land Title and Survey Authority (LTSA) in April 2026 listed the properties fraudsters typically target:

• Mortgage-free homes. Having a mortgage is no guarantee, since a fraudster can also discharge one fraudulently.
• Vacant homes, especially when no one is checking on them.
• Rentals and short-term rentals, where a tenant can pose as the owner.
• Homes owned by seniors or newcomers. Fraudsters count on seniors being easier to confuse and on newcomers not yet knowing how Canadian systems work.

How BC's land title system protects you

BC's land title system, run by LTSA, is based on the Torrens system: the title register is conclusive evidence of who owns a property, subject to exceptions listed in the Land Title Act. The Act also deals directly with fraud:

• Forged mortgages. Registering a void document, such as a forged mortgage, generally gives the person relying on it no interest in the land. The lender that advanced the money to the impostor carries that loss, although clearing the mortgage off your title can still take time and a lawyer's help.
• Forged sales. The Act protects a buyer who pays for a home in good faith, even if the seller turns out to be an impostor. In that rare case, the true owner can lose the home and claim compensation instead.
• The assurance fund. An owner who loses land through fraud can sue the fraudster. If the fraudster can't pay, or can't be found in BC, the damages and court-awarded costs are paid from LTSA's assurance fund. Compensation can't be more than the value of the land at the time of the loss, and the court action has to start within three years of discovering it.

Professionals also check identity: lawyers under Law Society rules, and real estate professionals for their clients and any unrepresented party to a deal. Owners who file with LTSA online are verified through the BC Services Card app.

Keep an eye on your title

• Search your title. A title search shows the registered owners and any mortgages, liens and other charges. You search by the property's nine-digit parcel identifier (PID), which is on your property tax notice, not by street address, and you can order one yourself from LTSA for a small fee.
• Look into BC Property Connect. LTSA began piloting this service in December 2025. It connects you securely to your property and notifies you of pending changes to your title. Its February 2026 call for pilot participants was open to owners of private residential property in BC, and you need a BC Services Card account, so check whether you can join.
• Keep your mailing address current. The mailing address on your title is where information about your property, such as assessment and property tax notices, is sent. Changing it is free.
• Check your credit report and bank statements regularly, and report anything you don't recognize.

Simple habits for owners

Homes you don't live in need the most attention, so if you own a rental or a vacant home:

• Have someone collect the mail and check on the home regularly. When you move, tell Canada Post and your financial institutions.
• Search your address online from time to time, in case your home shows up in a sale or rental listing you didn't authorize.
• Guard your documents. Keep your mortgage papers somewhere safe, shred old documents, and be wary of unexpected emails, texts and calls.
• Be careful with powers of attorney. Talk to a lawyer or notary before you give anyone the right to deal with your home.
• Consider title insurance. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada suggests it as protection against losses from title fraud, and you can buy a policy for a home you already own, not only when you buy.

Deposit and wire fraud when you buy

Buying a home means moving large sums: the deposit, which in most cases is held in trust by the buyer's brokerage, and the rest of your down payment and closing costs, which go to your lawyer or notary before completion. Fraudsters can imitate a trusted email address and send convincing messages saying the payment details have changed, a scam the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warns about.

• Confirm by phone. Before you send money, call your REALTOR®, lawyer or notary at a number you already have, not one from the email, and confirm the account details. The Law Society of BC tells lawyers to verify instructions for transferring funds by phone or in person, and the same habit protects you.
• Treat any change as a red flag. New payment instructions that arrive by email, especially with pressure to hurry, are the classic warning sign.
• Pay into trust and get a receipt. Your deposit goes into the brokerage's trust account, and your agent can't hold the cheque personally. BCFSA suggests asking for a receipt.

I explain when the deposit and completion funds are due in From Offer to Keys.

Rental listing scams

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warns of fake rental ads for homes in ideal locations at below-average prices, with quick replies, photos copied from real listings and pressure to pay fast. Unless you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, BC's Residential Tenancy Act gives you some easy checks:

• No application fees. A landlord can't charge you for accepting or processing an application, checking your suitability or accepting you as a tenant.
• Capped deposits. A security deposit can't be more than half a month's rent, and the same limit applies to a pet damage deposit.
• Deposits come with the agreement. A landlord can't require a security deposit at any time other than when you enter into the tenancy agreement.

See the home in person, or have someone you trust do it, before you pay anything. A title search shows the registered owner, though a property manager may act for them. If your own home is listed for sale or rent, watch for copies of your photos in other ads.

If you think you've been targeted

Act quickly. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada suggests these steps:

• Write down when you noticed the fraud, what you did, and who you spoke to and when.
• Contact your bank and any other company where your accounts may be affected.
• File a report with your local police.
• Contact LTSA, which runs BC's land title registry.
• Ask TransUnion and Equifax to put a fraud alert on your credit report.
• Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501, weekdays from 10 am to 4:45 pm Eastern time, or online through the National Fraud Reporting System, which the Centre runs with the RCMP.

If something has been registered on your title, call a lawyer right away, since claims involving the assurance fund have deadlines. If a real estate or mortgage professional was involved, you can also report a concern to BCFSA, which regulates them.

Questions owners often ask me

Can someone sell my home without my knowledge?

It can happen. Fraudsters have tried it in BC with forged identification, usually on homes with no mortgage or that sit empty. Checking your title from time to time helps you catch a problem early.

Do I have to pay a mortgage a fraudster took out on my home?

In most cases, no. Under BC's Land Title Act, a forged mortgage generally gives the lender no interest in your home, though you may need a lawyer's help to have it removed from your title.

What is LTSA's assurance fund?

It compensates people who lose land through fraud or a wrongful registration, or through a mistake by the land title office. Compensation can't exceed the value of the land at the time of the loss, and claims usually go to court.

How do I check what is registered on my title?

Order a title search from LTSA using your property's nine-digit PID, which is on your property tax notice. It shows the registered owners and any mortgages, liens and other charges.

Where do I report a real estate or rental scam?

To your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, at 1-888-495-8501 or online. If your title may be affected, also contact LTSA and a lawyer or notary.

Buying soon? See what to budget for, including title insurance, in Closing Costs in BC. Not sure how your own home is held? A title search shows it, and I explain the options in Joint Tenancy or Tenants in Common?

This article is general information, not legal advice. If you think you are a victim of fraud, contact your local police and a lawyer or notary right away. The details come from the Land Title Act, the Residential Tenancy Act, LTSA, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, and were current at the time of writing. For the federal guide, see real estate fraud.