I am totally clueless about this sort of thing. The individual pitching this service does a credible of frightening the homeowner. He is a retired FBI investigator and insists that if you do not use the service they provide at 10 dollars per month you are likely to be a victim.

Any Forum advice on this topic?

Here is the link to the website:

https://www.hometitlelock.com/

A forged document is void and conveys no interest. Whether it is a deed, a deed of trust or mortgage, whatever, no interest is conveyed.

A policy of title insurance covers events and documentation affecting title recorded before or as of the date of the title policy. If you bought a property or took a deed of trust on a property that relied on a forged deed or deed of trust in the chain of title, your title insurance would cover that.

The situation this fellow describes occurs after the date you acquire title and therefore your title policy doesn't cover that. If the crooks take out loans, those loans are covered by title insurance the lenders have. If they deed the property to others, those new owners are covered, assuming they bought title insurance. The documents are void, so your title is still as it was, but you have the hassle of straightening it out.

This isn't a new phenomena. I handled dozens of these cases when I was a title company counsel decades ago. I'm not surprised at all that he is in Los Angeles. That's got to be the biggest den of thieves imaginable.

I remember writing checks to pay forged loans over $1 million within a week of the loans closing. The crooks were bribing our title searchers with drugs to get them closed.

Always get title insurance when acquiring an interest in real property. It isn't perfect, doesn't protect you from all woe and worry but you need it for what it does cover.

Some further thought on this.

In Whackyland at least, most County Recorder databases of Grantor/Grantee Indices are online. You can check yourself. These are name records. Check your name, make sure it is you instead of someone else with the same name.

Also, each year the property owner gets a tax bill from the tax collector. It will come to you as the owner. If not, better check why. Tax records are also online so you can check those anytime you want.

Thank you for your help. I was concerned in light of the Equifax breach and issues with Identity Theft.

Using your home as collateral using forged titles after you have paid off your mortgage is a new one to me.

I paid my property taxes this year and checked online data base as well.