Deed theft is surging 4,500% across Palm Beach County, Florida, with prosecutors handling a staggering jump from only a handful of cases in 2023 to well over a hundred by 2025. County officials warn the crime is spreading fast, and families are finding out the hard way that a home or vacant lot can be stolen with forged paperwork, then sold to an unsuspecting buyer before the real owner even realizes what happened. One homeowner’s family has spent years trapped in a legal battle after a suspect allegedly used a fake identity to transfer ownership and sell their property for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Officials say today’s criminals are getting more advanced, using technology to identify vulnerable homeowners, especially seniors and those without mortgages. Even when victims manage to prove fraud, the process of reclaiming a property can be slow, stressful, and expensive, often requiring court fights and major legal costs. With cases rising statewide, the warning is clear: deed theft is no longer rare, and in Florida, it’s becoming one of the most damaging “silent crimes” homeowners can face.
This story was first reported by wflx.com Fox 29
