Properties vulnerable to mortgage fraud tend to be empty, tenanted or mortgage-free. The number will put vulnerable owners such as buy-to-let landlords in touch with specially trained staff for guidance about what to do next.
Land Registry director of legal services Alasdair Lewis said: “Fraud affects all parts of today’s society and everyone in it, costing this country an estimated £38bn each year. Government has a zero tolerance to fraud against the public purse but in order to fight fraud, everyone needs to work together.
“The need for everyone to play their part is just as relevant in the fight against property fraud as in other contexts.”
In one scenario, the caller could be a buy-to-let landlord who had discovered their property appeared to be marketed for sale. In another, it could be a relative of a deceased property owner whose identity seemed to have been stolen by a fraudster.
Should the fraudster succeed in impersonating the registered owner, there is a risk they may be able to raise money by mortgaging the property and then disappear without making repayments.
The telephone number is 0300 006 7030 and the line is open from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
