New Hampshire property nearly stolen from couple. Here's how you can protect yourself.
A property theft scam, first reported by WBZ-TV's I-Team in Massachusetts last year, has now reached New Hampshire.
Laurie and Joe Malenfant own a piece of land in northern New Hampshire where they have been planning to build their retirement home.
"[We] worked hard and saved to do this for our future and our dreams," Laurie said.
New Hampshire land scam
But that dream was nearly shattered when their piece of land in Pittsburgh, New Hampshire was nearly sold out from under them.
"The idea that somebody can crash it all down in a hurry is pretty upsetting," Laurie added.
Realtors reached out to the couple when they were contacted by someone else looking to sell the property.
One realtor, Tyler Costa, was immediately suspicious when the person, claiming to be Joe Malenfant, asked him to communicate on the encrypted chat platform, WhatsApp.
"They need a quick sale"
"Just very weird," Costa said. "They make it seem like it's a very urgent matter."
Joe Malenfant said the scammer told the realtor, "The wife is sick and they need a quick sale to get some cash to pay for treatments."
The scammer told Costa he was living in Austin, Texas, but Costa was able to track the scammer's communications back to a computer in India.
Laurie said the scammer even went so far as to contact her employer to try to reroute her pay. As the Malenfants dove deeper, they discovered the scammer had fake documents, including drivers licenses with Real ID logos.
Joe Malenfant said the Registry of Motor Vehicles told them if someone showed up with legitimate-looking documents, the registry would be obligated to process it.
"The true owner of the property won't necessarily find out the property's been sold out from under them until they received notification of the sale," explained New Hampshire Assistant Attorney General Nancy DeAngelis.
She said her office has seen several similar cases in New Hampshire.
"The easier targets are property maybe in more remote parts of the state," DeAngelis said.
How to protect your property
If you want to protect yourself from deed fraud, the New Hampshire Attorney General suggests setting up Google alerts for your own address. You should then get a notification if someone posts a fraudulent listing for your property online.
The WBZ I-Team was first to report this troubling crime in Massachusetts last year.
If you live in Massachusetts, you can protect yourself by with the Registry of Deeds, which will notify you if documents are recorded in your name or property address.
