Can someone really steal a house?

Property fraud – where someone mortgages or sells a property you own without you being aware and pockets the proceeds – is still relatively rare but is on the rise.

You are at potential risk if the property is rented out or not mortgaged or empty for a period of time or is not registered with HM Land Registry, as fraudsters can intercept post and/or represent themselves to estate agents, lenders and solicitors as the genuine owner of a property.

Properties registered with HM Land Registry are less likely to be at risk and financial and legal advisers have introduced more rigorous ID checks. You can protect yourself further by signing up to the free HM Land Registry Property Alert Service. They will notify you of certain applications affecting the property you are monitoring, such as for a new mortgage or change of ownership.

You can monitor up to 10 registered properties in England and Wales. You do not have to own the property, so you could monitor the property of an elderly relative for example. To sign up to Property Alert, visit www.gov.uk/property-alert. Alerts are normally sent by email but you can still use the service if you’re not online.

You can also apply for a restriction to be placed on the HM Land Registry title for your property. The restriction is designed to prevent forgery. It does so by requiring that a conveyancer or solicitor certifies they are satisfied that the person transferring or mortgaging the property is the same person as the owner.