Real estate fraud losses skyrocketed to $275.1 million in 2025, according to a newly released FBI cybercrime report, prompting the American Land Title Association (ALTA) to issue a stark warning against weakening consumer safeguards in property transactions.
The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center report details an increasingly sophisticated threat environment driven by artificial intelligence and compromised business emails. In response to the alarming data, ALTA is pushing back against any potential rollback of title protections, arguing that removing frontline safeguards ultimately harms housing affordability by shifting massive fraud risks onto consumers, lenders and insurers.
According to the FBI’s report, released April 6, real estate fraud losses jumped from $173 million in 2024 to $275.1 million in 2025. The surge was driven by 12,368 specific real estate-related complaints filed last year, compared to the 9,359 complaints lodged in 2024, per the agency’s data.
Relying on the FBI’s data, ALTA drew a direct connection between the report’s findings and ongoing industry debates related to the cost of title insurance and settlement services, general affordability concerns and fraud.
“Fraud is not a side issue in housing; it is part of the affordability story,” commented ALTA CEO Chris Morton in a press release. “The FBI’s latest data shows real estate fraud is growing in a threat environment shaped by impersonation, business email compromise and AI-enabled deception.”
The real estate figures are part of a massive wave of digital theft and fraud-related crimes. Overall cybercrime losses in the U.S. surpassed $20.8 billion in 2025, according to the FBI. The agency noted that cyber-enabled fraud accounted for a staggering 85% of all reported financial losses nationwide.
Morton argued that as these digital threats evolve, stripping away traditional transaction protections will not yield true savings for homebuyers.
“As losses rise, removing safeguards does not eliminate costs; it shifts them to consumers, lenders, insurers and the broader housing finance system,” he remarked.
The trade association emphasized that title professionals serve as a necessary frontline defense against these expensive scams. By verifying identities, reviewing complex documentation and addressing risks prior to the closing table, title agents protect property rights against forgery and hidden ownership risks, ALTA argues.
“Prevention matters as fraud schemes become more convincing and more sophisticated,” Morton added. “Title is protection. Title professionals are not simply processing paperwork. They help protect consumers and property rights against costly fraud, forgery and other hidden risks tied to property ownership.”
