Land Registry's 'Protect your Property campaign' launches today (11th January) as a positive measure to help protect homeowners who are most at risk of property fraud.

Land Registry will be using the Central Office of Information's register of 6,500 organisations to distribute a 'Protect your Property' leaflet to homeowners at advice centres, law centres, solicitors' offices, elderly concerned organisations and public libraries. The leaflet can also be downloaded from the Land Registry website.

The leaflets provide information about how people in these vulnerable groups can protect their most valuable asset. In addition to leaflets, the campaign will also benefit from online content and advertising.

A Land Registry spokesperson commented:
"Property is usually a homeowner's most valuable asset and it can be an attractive target for fraudsters. This campaign provides homeowners with information to help them protect their ownership. If you are mortgage free, no longer live at your property or are a buy-to-let landlord, one of the jobs on your New Year 'to-do' list should be to make sure that Land Registry has your up-to-date contact details. This means we can contact you when someone makes an enquiry about your property."

As part of the wider initiatives to reduce property fraud, Land Registry is working with other organisations including the National Fraud Information Bureau, the National Fraud Initiative, as well as the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Work is also underway with the Law Society to provide their members with a practice note on preventing registration fraud.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. 'Protect your Property' campaign leaflets will also be available in other formats on request.

2. Land Registry can hold up to three contact addresses, including an email address and an overseas address.

3. Case study: "An attempted fraud was discovered and prevented by Land Registry because, among other anti-fraud procedures, the owners of the property that was being "stolen" had kept their address for service up to date. The couple from the West Midlands had paid off the mortgage on a property they were letting and lived at another address. Because they lived elsewhere, they'd supplied their home address as well as that of the let property as contact addresses for Land Registry. In 2009 fraudsters, impersonating the couple, tried to change the named owners on the Land Registry register so they could take over ownership of the let property. Land Registry contacted the couple immediately at both addresses and they were able to object to the transfer of ownership. This meant the fraud was stopped."

4. 14.3 million people * are property owners without mortgages. A large proportion of these homeowners will own properties worth more than £500,000. (*COI)

5. Land Registry has a robust anti-fraud strategy and dedicated staff working within Land Registry and alongside the police and other agencies to ensure that the risk is managed. The strategy is constantly kept under review and anti-fraud activity revised accordingly on an ongoing basis. Land Registry is committed to combating registration fraud and works alongside the police and other agencies to help achieve this.

6. For more information, please visit www1.landregistry.gov.uk/propertyfraud

Media enquiries

Suzy Rigg 020 7166 4057
suzy.rigg@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk

Marion Shelley 020 7166 4543
marion.shelley@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk

Esther McWatters 020 7166 4487
Esther.mcwatters@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk

Press Office 020 7166 4215

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