Philadelphia received 152 reports of suspected deed fraud so far in 2026, nearly matching the 159 reports filed during all of 2025, according to the city Department of Records. The reports concern a form of property theft in which someone allegedly changes or transfers a deed without the rightful owner’s permission, often using forged signatures or other fraudulent paperwork. Once recorded, a deed can appear legitimate, leaving homeowners and their families to pursue a lengthy legal process to establish ownership. District Attorney Larry Krasner said he believes many cases go undetected. “I think deed fraud is going on in a really big way, but there is a small number of cases that are being caught,” he said. His office could not provide a total for deed-fraud prosecutions. Elaine Garcia encountered the issue after her brother, Frank Garcia, died in 2022. He had written a will leaving his belongings, including his North Randolph Street home, to her. He had no spouse or children, she said, and the two were especially close among their five siblings. After Frank Garcia’s death, his caretaker remained in the house. When Elaine Garcia asked him to leave, she said, she was told that her brother had given him the home. She then found that a deed recorded months before her brother’s death added the caretaker and his partner to the property, listing a transfer price of $1. Garcia questioned the signature on the deed and reported her concerns to authorities. About a year after her brother’s death, the caretaker was arraigned and charged in connection with the case. He later pleaded guilty to financial exploitation of an older adult or care-dependent person and other charges. The home was ultimately returned to Garcia. Krasner said perpetrators may target properties owned by older people, using information that a longtime homeowner is ill or has died to move against the property. But Records Commissioner James Leonard cautioned that the rise in reports does not necessarily mean deed fraud itself is increasing. The city has worked to make reporting easier, including allowing people to file from home by phone or tablet rather than traveling to City Hall, he said. Philadelphia offers a free service called Fraud Guard, which emails property owners when a document bearing their name is recorded with the Department of Records. Owners can review the document through a link in the alert. The city also recommends checking that a newly purchased property’s deed is properly recorded and that public records list the correct owner. Leonard urged people who suspect fraud to contact the District Attorney’s Office, file a police report and seek legal assistance. Ultimately, he said, a court determines whether a transaction involved fraud. “You have to report it,” Garcia said. “You can’t let this go on.”