Fraud When You Sell Your Home in BC: Five Risks and How to Check Each One

Fraud against home sellers is uncommon in British Columbia. It still deserves one careful read before you list, because a seller deals with an identity, a title and a large payment all at once. This guide covers five risks, the check for each, and the government sources behind every check.

How common is title and mortgage fraud in BC?

The Land Title and Survey Authority (LTSA) keeps the BC land title records. It says that title fraud is exceedingly rare in British Columbia, and that an Assurance Fund compensates owners who are financially affected in the unlikely case it happens.

The LTSA also published a notice dated August 4, 2026. It says scammers used falsified identification to pose as owners and take out new mortgages against their properties. The notice names residential properties in Surrey, Delta, New Westminster and Burnaby, and it describes the targets as properties with clear title (no mortgage or other charges on title) or an older, low balance mortgage.

Both statements are true together. In our reading, the fraud is rare, and a house that has been owned for decades with no mortgage fits the description in the notice. The checks below take little time.

Risk 1: Someone pretends to be you and registers a change on your title

The LTSA recommends several steps. Our suggestions follow each one.

• BC Property Connect. The LTSA's FAQ says property alerts notify you when a change is submitted to the title of your property, such as a transfer, a mortgage or a lien. You need a private residential property in BC with no more than four owners, all individuals, and a verified BC Services Card account on your phone. The page does not state a fee, so read the sign-up page for the cost.
• Title monitoring. The LTSA says title monitoring, also called the Parcel Activity Notifier, provides an email notice, and that your legal professional can set it up. Ask your lawyer or notary about it when you hire them.
• A State of Title Certificate. The LTSA says you can ask your legal professional for this certified true copy of your title. Ask for one when you start to plan the sale, so you can read the title as it stands.
• Current records. The August notice tells owners to keep their land title records current. Tell the LTSA about a new address or a new name, or ask your legal professional to bring the title up to date.
• The duplicate certificate. If you hold a Duplicate Indefeasible Title Certificate, the LTSA calls it "a very valuable document" and suggests a safety deposit box. The LTSA says the title cannot be transferred or mortgaged until the duplicate is put back into the land title system.

Check your title records and set up an alert before the house is listed.

Risk 2: You deal with a person who is not licensed

BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) says to search before you sign. It warns that some individuals or businesses offer services they are not authorized to provide, and that fraudsters can pose as legitimate professionals.

The Find a Professional register shows contact details, licence category and level, any licence conditions or restrictions, and recent discipline history. BCFSA calls the online search unofficial, and it lists a phone number and an email address for an official search. Search for your agent and for the brokerage before you sign a listing contract.

The LTSA's August notice lists four things that should make a real estate or legal professional wary of a client: urgency, listing the property below market value, taking a high interest private mortgage on a clear title, and avoiding the usual marketing, meaning Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and "for sale" signs. If anyone suggests one of the four to you, we suggest you stop and ask your own lawyer before you answer.

Risk 3: An email changes the payment instructions

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) describes payment redirection fraud in a May 2026 release. Criminals impersonate legitimate contacts and manipulate email conversations to give fraudulent payment instructions. The CAFC says the real estate sector is a common target.

It lists these warning signs:

• a request to change or update banking or payment information
• pressure to act quickly or bypass normal procedures
• an email address that closely resembles the real one
• unexpected wire transfer instructions
• a request to send payments to a new account

The advice is to verify payment instructions independently and to confirm banking changes using trusted contact information. For a seller, that means one habit. When an email about money changes anything, phone your lawyer or notary on the number you wrote down at your first meeting, and do not use a number in the email.

Risk 4: A buyer overpays for your furniture

Downsizing means selling belongings. The CAFC describes the overpayment scam: you receive a payment for more than the asking price, the fraudster asks you to deposit the funds and send the extra back right away, and afterward you discover that the payment was fraudulent. The CAFC says fraudsters use compromised bank accounts, fraudulent cheques and stolen credit cards.

Our suggestion is a rule with no exceptions. Never send money back to a buyer. If a buyer wants to pay more, or asks you to send anything, say no and report the attempt.

Risk 5: Papers and mail during the move

A move produces paper, and it moves your mail. The Vancouver Police Department's identity theft advice is short and fits the weeks before and after a sale:

• shred old financial and personal documents, and be careful what goes into the recycling box
• get a locking mailbox, or receive bank and card statements online or at your bank
• send a change of address card to Canada Post when you move, and tell every agency that sends you bills
• check your credit history once a year, because an application for credit in your name should show up on it

Why will your agent and your lawyer ask to see your identification?

The LTSA's August notice says real estate professionals, financial professionals and BC notaries must follow identity verification requirements set by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and by their professional regulator. It says lawyers must follow the requirements of their own regulator. So a request to see your identification, more than once, is a normal part of a sale. It is the check that protects you from someone posing as you.

Before you list, ask your lawyer or notary four questions:

1. Can you set up title monitoring on my property, and when will it start?
2. Can you get me a State of Title Certificate?
3. How will you confirm my identity and the buyer's identity?
4. What phone number will you use if the payment instructions ever change?

Write the answers down and keep them with your listing papers.

Where do you report fraud?

The LTSA says you can report real estate fraud to the LTSA, to BCFSA and to your police jurisdiction, and that a victim or a person who suspects fraud should report it immediately. The CAFC takes reports on its Report fraud page. Tell your lawyer or notary at the same time, because they handle the title and the sale money.

This guide is general information from government sources. It cannot replace advice on your own title or contract. Confirm legal questions with your own lawyer or notary before you sign. Our downsizing checklist lists every step in order, and our post on selling a parent's home covers the extra steps when the owner has died.

Next step

A sale starts with your price, and you can ask for it without any commitment. Ask us for a free home value, and a BC-licensed REALTOR® will email you a price range based on recent sales of homes like yours. Check any agent, including us, on the BCFSA register before you reply. The rest of our downsizing guide covers each step, including the order in which to sell and buy.