Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to (a) prevent and (b) protect victims of title fraud.

HM Land Registry (HMLR) takes the issue of fraud extremely seriously and is always looking for ways to minimise the risk of property title fraud and to maintain the integrity of the land register. HMLR has a range of controls and processes in place that can highlight fraudulent activity.

HMLR’s specialist counter fraud teams focus on detection and prevention of fraud, working with the Cabinet Office, the Public Sector Fraud Authority and other government departments to stay ahead of new and emerging threats, sharing and implementing best practice. HMLR collaborates with law enforcement and regulators to assist with any investigations into property related fraud, safeguarding public trust and the integrity of the land register. HMLR is working with conveyancers to encourage them to use digital cryptographic ID checking as part of their professional responsibilities.

The Land Registration Act 2002 places a legal liability on HMLR to indemnify for losses resulting from errors or omissions in the register of title. This includes errors resulting from frauds perpetrated by third parties.

HMLR encourages all homeowners to sign up to alerts via their free, award-winning Property Alert service. Information about this can be found on gov.uk here.