Elderly Illinois Citizens Beware: Deeds Scams
The office of Cook County Record of Deeds Eugene Moore has issued alerts to attorneys who represent elderly clients to be on the lookout for two scams.
The first scam is a “Have You Seen Your Deed?” letter being circulated to arouse fear in senior citizens. The letter requests $150 to receive a certified copy of a deed. In reality, an electronic copy of your client’s deed may be obtained from the Recorder of Deeds office for 50 cents.
The second scan involves filing quitclaim deeds to convey title to residences usually in situations where relatives or caretakers are financially abusing the elderly. One way the Recorder of Deeds office is combating this scam is to notify a grantor when a quitclaim deed is filed to ensure the owner of the deed was not defrauded.
The Recorder of Deeds office requests that attorneys or clients report suspicious behavior by calling their office at (312) 603-5050. The Recorder’s website is also a resource whereby homeowners can search for recordings against title to properties: www.ccrd.info.
Bookmark: 
