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hortly before, seasoned realtor Chris Anderson received a text from someone claiming to need help selling land. The caller explained they lived out of state and required guidance, so Anderson agreed. The fraudster supplied the correct owner’s name, spouse’s name, and a Wyoming address, even creating a notarized fake email account for document exchange. Anderson didn’t suspect until she saw the property, valued over $2 million, already listed for sale, yet the caller wanted to sell it for $150 k. “That’s a red flag,” she said. She then asked for a photo of a driver’s license or passport to verify ownership. The caller immediately hung up.

    County Assessor Jordan Marks reports that similar scams are rampant across the county, especially in rural towns like Julian, Ramona, and Alpine. “Often the fraudsters are neighbors who know the property is owned by someone living out of state and who hasn’t paid it off,” he explained. He warned that while crooked notaries still exist, advances in AI and technology make forging identities easier.

    To counteract this, the county introduced a free “Owner Alert” service that monitors title changes 24/7 and emails owners when a transfer is attempted. “We want to deter title thieves by showing them we’re vigilant,” Marks said. He estimates that by year’s end, roughly 40,000 San Diegans will be signed up for the alert system.