WANG, T E H PONG AND HUI YING WANG-2013

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• CLERK -RECORDER • • ORANGE COUNTY •' HALL OF RECORDS AND FINANCE 12 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA, ROOM 101, P.O. BOX 238, SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92702-0238 PHONE j714J 834-2500 FAX 1714) 834-2675 WWW.00RECORDER.COM REAL ESTATE FRAUD FACT SHEET Types of Real Estate Fraud Home improvement scams, which involve real estate professionals getting loans from the names of people unaware their identities are being used; Equity Fraud, which occurs when a person forges a property owner's signature on a deed and then equity in the property is stolen through loans taken against the targeted property; and Flipping, which involves the buying of property and reselling of it at an inflated price based on fraudulent appraisal values. Who is at risk for Real Estate Fraud? Coupled with the effects of identity theft, any individual can be a potential target for real estate fraud. However, law enforcement statistics have shown that the elderly and the more economically challenged are much more susceptible to fraud. Below are some common warning signs of real estate fraud: • You receive official property documents indicating a transfer of property and you have no previous knowledge of the transaction; • You are missing a tax bill: A missing tax bill can be the first sign of home equity fraud; and • You receive mortgage documents or payment books for loans you never applied for. This is also another common sign of equity fraud coupled with identity theft. Protect yourself and your property Monitor your credit every four to six months to look for any fraudulent or unexplained activity. You can also check the Orange County Clerk -Recorder Department's online Grantor/Grantee Index to check for recorded transactions that may affect your property. Reportine Real Estate Fraud Immediately contact your local law enforcement if: • You didn't sell, borrow or make gift transfer of properties to anyone; • You believe a fraud or misrepresentation has occurred in a transaction you were involved in; • You didn't sign the document(s) or if the information on the documents) had been altered after you signed it; and • You receive property documents you have no knowledge of. For more information on real property fraud and local law enforcement contact information, please visit www.ocrecorder.com/fraud.asp.