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rizonans lost $50 million to real‑estate fraud last year, with thieves targeting vacant land, a new national survey and industry insiders report. Jeff Cayton, a Valley realtor with a decade of experience, warned that “the fraud is running rampant right now” and that he and his colleagues have seen it repeatedly. The National Association of Realtors’ latest survey shows that 62 % of deed‑fraud cases involve empty parcels.

    Sindy Ready of the Arizona Realtor Association notes that out‑of‑state owners of vacant properties are especially vulnerable. “These buyers often think they’ll build a second home later, but criminals exploit the lack of occupancy and financing,” she explains. In many transactions, cash buyers pay without a mortgage and never move in, making it easier for fraudsters to transfer titles and sell the land without the true owner’s knowledge. Ready warns that both sellers and buyers can suffer severe losses if they unknowingly acquire a fraud‑tainted deed.

    Homeowners in Maricopa County can use the free Title Alert program to receive notifications of unauthorized changes. Ready also recommends setting up a Google Alert for the property’s name. Despite these tools, she urges vigilance: “If a deal seems too good to be true, it’s likely a red flag that warrants deeper investigation.”