There has been a 300% increase in the number of homeowners signing up for a property alert scheme to protect against fraudulent property transactions, according to Thirdfort. 

Some 135,624 property owners registered for the free HM Land Registry’s Property Alert Service in 2021, compared with 46,043 in 2020. 

Thirdfort reveals that more than 110,000 have already signed up this year. 

The property alert service allows property owners to register up to 10 properties. 

The rise in registrations suggests that homeowners are increasingly concerned about the risk of fraud, following figures in recent years. 

According to the Freedom of Information (FOI) data, 515,709 property owners in total have now signed up for the free service since its launch in 2014. 

With approximately 28m homes in the UK, Thirdfort says this represents between just 2% and 4% of property owners, despite significant risks of title fraud. 

Thirdfort co-founder and managing director Olly Thornton-Berry says: “Fraud is a huge problem in the UK property market. We’ve seen some alarming instances of fraudsters acquiring ownership of properties using forged documents to impersonate registered owners. Empty properties, tenanted properties and those without a mortgage are particularly at risk.”