If the property is in North Carolina and doesn’t have a mortgage, the owner can definitely take steps to lower their risk—but let’s clear up one big misconception first. Recording a deed normally doesn’t give you a foolproof “lock” against fraud. Even those free county fraud alerts only flag a problem after someone files something; they can’t block it from happening in the first place.

Now, the good news is that a forged deed doesn’t magically make a thief the legal owner. The bad news? It still creates a massive, expensive title mess that usually requires a lawyer and a lawsuit to untangle.

If you want to protect the property, here is the exact game plan I’d recommend:

Get on the county watch list. Sign up for the free fraud alerts through the local Register of Deeds (if it’s Franklin County, they have a specific “Fraud Detection Notification” link right on their site). Make sure to register every single variation of the owner’s name, plus any trust or business name attached to the title. Use an email you actually look at, because if an alert pops up, you need to move fast.

Call the title insurance company. Don’t assume a standard title policy covers a future forgery. Most of them only protect against issues that happened before you bought the place. Call the original closing attorney or the insurer and ask point-blank: “Does my policy pay the legal fees to clear my title if someone forges a deed tomorrow?” You can also ask if North Carolina allows you to add an ALTA 49.1 endorsement, which is specifically designed to cover future forgery.

Lock down the owner’s identity. Run a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It won’t freeze the property deed itself, but it stops identity thieves from opening new loans in the owner’s name. Also, keep a close eye on tax bills—if a bill goes missing or unexpected loan mail shows up, treat it as a red flag.

Look into Torrens registration. If the owner wants serious legal armor, have them ask an NC real estate attorney about Chapter 43 land registration (the Torrens system). It involves a court process that creates a special title certificate. It’s a bit of an investment and involves some legal fees, but it adds a massive layer of security.

Skip the “Title Lock” commercials. Don’t waste money on those heavily advertised “home title lock” services. They don’t actually lock anything. They just charge a monthly fee to monitor the records, which the county usually does for free anyway.

If you ever spot a suspicious filing, don’t wait. Grab a copy of the document, call the police and the Register of Deeds, alert the title company, and hire a real estate litigator immediately to file a lis pendens (a public notice of a pending lawsuit) to freeze any potential sale.