Davidson County official warns of recent deed transfer scam

Local officials are warning homeowners about a scam letter showing up in some area mailboxes lately, and your BT team wants to amplify that message, so more people are on alert.

According to the office of Karen Johnson, the Nashville Davidson County Register of Deeds, multiple people in her jurisdiction have received fake notification letters claiming that the deed to their property has been transferred and recorded. Then, a payment (reportedly $89) is demanded for a copy of the “new deed.”  

“We have had a number of calls from concerned homeowners who got false information about the deed to their property being transferred,” Johnson said in her warning. “We had one gentleman who had the good sense to come into our office to ask what the mailing meant and did he have to pay the $89 service fee that was mentioned.”

This letter is a scam attempt meant to prey on the fear that something happened without the homeowners’ knowledge or that a house is in danger of being lost. Johnson stressed that her office does not send out messages like this and does not ever mail or email requests for payment of any kind.

For a copy of the fraudulent letter, click here. If you have heard about this scam making the rounds in our communities, let us know in the comments. In addition, if you want to know more about wire fraud and real estate, read this blog post or reach out to us for a conversation.  

This is also a good reminder that if something seems off, it probably is. Everything is worth verifying, whether it’s during your home closing or well after it. If a request is legitimate, it can and should be confirmed. When it comes to wiring instructions or plans for payment during your transaction with Birthright Title, you can always reach out to us at 615-288-4599 to ensure you or your clients are doing the right thing.