Seller Impersonation Fraud Attempts More Than Double, ALTA Study Finds

(Illustration courtesy of FlyD via Unsplash)

Seller impersonation fraud has become more widespread and frequent, and criminals are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to carry out these schemes, a new report from the American Land Title Association found.

ALTA’s 2026 Seller Impersonation Fraud study found that 59% of firms reported at least one seller impersonation fraud attempt in the prior calendar year, more than double the 28% reported in the association’s 2024 survey. The share reporting at least one attempt in the month prior to the survey also rose sharply, from 19% to 45%, while the share reporting three or more attempts increased from 4% to 23%.

Seller impersonation fraud occurs when a criminal impersonates a property owner to illegally sell commercial or residential property. The study surveyed 245 title insurance professionals across 40 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The findings confirm that seller impersonation fraud is becoming more common, more sophisticated and more difficult to detect. “Criminals are investing time and resources to exploit weaknesses in real estate transactions,” ALTA Chief Strategy, Communications & Innovation Officer Elizabeth Blosser said.

The research found that bad actors are expanding both their targets and tactics. Vacant land remains the top target, but vacation homes, rental properties, agricultural land and primary residences all increased as targets compared with the 2024 survey.

Technology is also changing the fraud playbook. 87% of respondents rated spoofed contact information as at least somewhat common, while 58% said the same of deepfake image or voice technology.

When schemes succeed, the financial consequences can be substantial. One in four firms reporting an attempt also reported a paid claim related to seller impersonation fraud. Among firms reporting a claim and disclosing average costs, half reported costs above $100,000.

ALTA noted that title professionals are strengthening their defenses. 94% of firms reported using multiple tools they consider helpful for detecting seller impersonation fraud, averaging 5.3 fraud-detection tools per firm. These include identity verification, direct seller contact, multifactor authentication and approved notaries.