Farmland Title Fraud on the Rise: Experts Urge Landowners to Stay Vigilant

By Jason Vance

A growing scam targeting rural landowners is raising concerns across the country, particularly in the Plains states and western regions where large tracts of farmland and ranchland often sit unattended.

According to Roger McEowen, a law professor at Washburn and Kansas State, scammers are increasingly impersonating landowners in an attempt to sell property they do not own.

“What once seemed unimaginable is now occurring with alarming frequency,” McEowen said. “Scammers are impersonating landowners and trying to sell rural property, and in some cases they’re getting dangerously close to succeeding.”

Unlike residential real estate, many farm and ranch properties have no occupied structures or daily activity that would alert owners to suspicious behavior. Absentee-owned farmland, hunting properties, pasture ground, recreational tracts, and mineral-producing properties are especially vulnerable.

Scammers often search public records for landowners who live out of state or rarely visit their property. Using publicly available information such as legal descriptions, tax mailing addresses, ownership histories, and even family details, fraudsters create convincing false identities.

Once armed with that information, they contact real estate agents while posing as the owner and attempt to move a sale through quickly. Frequently, the property is listed just below market value to attract immediate buyers and close the transaction before the legitimate owner becomes aware of the fraud.

Technology Making Fraud Easier

McEowen noted that modern technology has made these scams increasingly sophisticated.

Many fraudulent transactions are conducted exclusively through email, text messages, electronic signatures, and remote communications. Artificial intelligence tools can now mimic voices and even create convincing video interactions, making it more difficult to verify identities.

“In smaller communities, people often know who owns the land,” McEowen said. “But when that owner lives elsewhere and communication is entirely electronic, agents may not realize they’re dealing with a scammer.”

Warning Signs for Landowners and Agents

McEowen recommends watching for several red flags, including:

• Sellers insisting on communicating only through text or email.

• Claims that the owner is overseas, traveling, hospitalized, or unavailable for in-person meetings.

• Aggressive pressure to complete a transaction quickly.

• Asking prices set slightly below market value.

• Out-of-state owners who are difficult to contact directly.

• Heavy reliance on electronic signatures without additional verification.

While electronic signatures are legal and commonly used, McEowen said they should not replace proper identity verification.

Questions That Can Expose a Scammer

Real estate professionals can protect themselves by asking detailed questions that only a true owner would likely know.

Topics might include:

• Fencing locations and conditions.

• Cropping and grazing history.

• Tenant arrangements.

• Water access and water rights.

• Neighboring landowners and operators.

• Mineral production activity.

“Those are details that are often not available through public records,” McEowen said. “A scammer may know basic information, but they typically won’t know the specifics of the property.”

Scammers Can Mimic Professionals

In some cases, fraudsters go beyond impersonating landowners.

They may spoof phone numbers, create fake email domains, fabricate identification documents, manipulate electronic signature platforms, and even produce fraudulent notarization records.

Some bypass real estate professionals entirely by advertising properties as “for sale by owner” and attempting to complete transactions without agents or title companies.

“They can make it appear that a legitimate agent, broker, or title company is involved when the entire transaction is fraudulent,” McEowen said.

Preventive Steps for Attorneys and Landowners

McEowen encourages rural attorneys to take proactive measures to help protect clients.

One recommendation is placing land ownership within a limited liability company (LLC) or trust, reducing the visibility of individual absentee owners in public records.

Attorneys can also:

• Draft stricter closing instructions requiring live visual identity verification.

• Require secondary phone confirmation using independently sourced contact information.

• Record affidavits stating that certain properties are not currently for sale and require in-person verification for any transfer.

• Encourage title companies to verify transactions with local tenants or neighboring operators.

• Promote enrollment in county property fraud alert programs where available.

Because local farmers and ranchers often know who owns nearby land, a simple phone call to a tenant or neighboring operator can quickly reveal whether a proposed sale is legitimate.

What to Do If Fraud Occurs

If landowners discover their property has been targeted, McEowen advises acting immediately.

Owners should contact local title companies, notify the county register of deeds, alert law enforcement, and preserve all documents, emails, text messages, and other records connected to the attempted transaction.

Even when a fraudulent sale is stopped, legal work may still be required to clear any cloud on the property’s title.

“The most important thing is to get an attorney involved right away,” McEowen said.

As farmland values remain strong and technology continues to evolve, experts say awareness and verification remain the best defenses against an increasingly sophisticated form of rural property crime.