How to Protect Your Arizona Home From Deed Fraud

By Lianne Russo Liddell, Associate Broker, REALTOR®, The Russo Fadler Group at Realty ONE Group

The simplest way to protect your Arizona home from deed fraud is to sign up for two free alerts: the Arizona Department of Real Estate's Early Real Estate Sales Alert System, which can warn you before a sale of your property closes when you're in escrow and under contract, and your county Recorder's alert, which tells you when a document is recorded under your name. Each takes a few minutes, and together they cover gaps the other one leaves.

Here's what deed fraud is, who it tends to target, and how each alert works.

What Is Deed Fraud?

Deed fraud happens when someone records documents to transfer or borrow against a property without the owner's knowledge or consent. In some cases, a scammer poses as the owner and “sells” a property they don't own, then disappears with the buyer's money.

It's a growing problem in Arizona. In August 2026, Arizona's Family reported that the Arizona Attorney General's Office had received nearly 400 real estate fraud complaints since 2024, leading to about 40 active criminal investigations, many involving deed fraud.

The damage reaches more than one person. The true owner may have to go to court to restore their title, and a buyer who unknowingly purchased stolen property can lose the money they paid.

Which Properties Are Most at Risk?

Scammers look for properties where the owner is unlikely to notice activity right away. Common targets include:

• Vacant land
• Vacant homes, second homes and vacation properties
• Properties owned by people who live out of state
• Homes owned by elderly owners, or by owners who have recently passed away

If a family member fits one of these descriptions, it's worth helping them sign up for the alerts below.

How Can You Protect Your Property?

Register for both kinds of alerts. They're free, and they warn you at different points:

Here's why you want both. A county Recorder alert tells you after a document has been recorded, which helps you act fast but doesn't stop the filing. ERAS is designed to warn you while a sale is still pending, giving you time to step in before it closes.

A few tips when you sign up:

• Monitor every version of your name that appears on your deed, including a trust or LLC if your property is held in one.
• Keep your email and phone number current, or the alerts won't reach you.
• The county alerts cover documents recorded after you sign up, so sooner is better.
• If your home is in another Arizona county, check with that county's Recorder for a similar service.

No alert system covers every property or catches every scheme. ERAS only works when an owner has registered and a transaction is reported to it. These tools work best alongside a careful title and escrow process, not in place of one.

What Happens When You Buy or Sell a Home?

When you're under contract, you and the other party will be asked whether to authorize the escrow officer to send three details about the sale to ERAS: the seller's name, the property address and the assessor parcel number. If the person selling isn't the real owner, and the real owner has registered, ERAS alerts them to the pending sale so they can intervene.

Every party to the contract must consent for the authorization to be valid. For buyers, it adds a layer of protection against unknowingly purchasing stolen property. For sellers, it's a small step that helps keep the system working for everyone. We'll walk you through the form when you're under contract. Our Greater Phoenix Home Seller Guide explains where it fits in the escrow process.

What Should You Do If You Get an Alert?

Act quickly, but verify first. If you get an alert for a sale or a document you don't recognize:

• Contact your local law enforcement agency to report it.
• Consider speaking with a real estate attorney about protecting your title.
• You can also file a complaint with the Arizona Attorney General's Office.

If you're not sure whether something is legitimate, reach out to us. We're glad to help you figure out what you're looking at and who to call next.

Questions about protecting your home, or thinking about selling? We're glad to help.

Talk with The Russo Fadler Group

Sources

• Arizona Department of Real Estate, Early Real Estate Sales Alert System, earlyalert.azre.gov
• Arizona Department of Real Estate, Early Real Estate Sales Alert transaction form, August 2026
• Maricopa County Recorder, Maricopa Title Alert
• Pinal County, Recording Notification Service
• Arizona's Family, “New Arizona alert system targets deed fraud: Here's how it works,” August 2026

Lianne Russo Liddell is an Associate Broker, REALTOR® and co-owner of The Russo Fadler Group at Realty ONE Group, serving buyers and sellers throughout Greater Phoenix. Learn more at therfgaz.com.

The Russo Fadler Group at Realty ONE Group helps buyers and sellers throughout Greater Phoenix make informed real estate decisions with clear guidance, strong advocacy and a fiduciary-first approach.