Protect Your Deed: Free Alert Services for MA Homeowners

Written By Dwell360 Team

Title fraud isn’t just a scary headline, it’s a real risk. The good news: Massachusetts homeowners can take a proactive step by signing up for free deed recording notification services. These alerts notify you via email every time a document is recorded under your name or property. If you own a home in Suffolk, Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex, Worcester, Plymouth, or Barnstable Counties, registering takes only a few minutes and gives you an early warning so you can act fast if something suspicious appears. Let’s take a look at how these services work and where to register in each county.

Fraud is on the Rise

Title fraud, also known as deed fraud or home title theft, has become a significant concern for homeowners in Massachusetts. Between 2019 and 2023, over 1,500 victims in the state reported losses exceeding $46 million due to real estate fraud schemes, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division. This alarming statistic underscores the growing prevalence of fraudulent activities targeting property owners.

The FBI notes that these reported losses are likely underestimates, as many victims may not be aware of the fraud, are unsure where to report it, or feel embarrassed to come forward. The rise of digital transactions and public access to property records has provided scammers with new avenues to exploit unsuspecting homeowners.

In response to this threat, Massachusetts homeowners are encouraged to take proactive measures to protect their property. One effective strategy is to sign up for the state's free Consumer Notification Service (CNS), which alerts property owners via email whenever a document is recorded under their name or property. This early warning system enables homeowners to act swiftly if they notice any suspicious activity.

How the Service Works

Massachusetts Registries of Deeds participate in a statewide Consumer Notification Service (also called Owner Alert or Property Fraud Alert) that watches the public land-records index for matches to the name, address, or book/page number you register. When documents are recorded, the system sends automated email alerts. It’s a monitoring and detection tool, not a prevention system, but getting an alert early makes it far easier to respond before a fraudulent claim becomes bigger.

County-by-County Sign-Up Guide

Suffolk County

  • Service Link: Consumer Notification Service

  • What to do: Visit the Suffolk Registry page to register.

  • Communities in Suffolk: Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop.

Norfolk County

  • Service Link: Free Consumer Notification Service

  • Sign-up: Enter your email and names to monitor. If suspicious activity arises, contact the registry immediately.

  • Norfolk County includes Avon, Bellingham, Braintree, Brookline, Canton, Cohasset, Dedham, Dover, Foxborough, Franklin, Holbrook, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Milton, Needham, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Quincy, Randolph, Sharon, Stoughton, Walpole, Wellesley, Westwood, Weymouth, and Wrentham.

Middlesex County

  • Service Link: Consumer Notification Services

  • Tip: Middlesex County has two registries, North and South.

  • Middlesex North includes Billerica, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Westford, and Wilmington.

  • Middlesex South covers Acton, Arlington, Ashby, Ashland, Ayer, Bedford, Belmont, Boxborough, Burlington, Cambridge, Concord, Everett, Framingham, Groton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Malden, Marlborough, Maynard, Medford Melrose, Natick, Newton, North Reading, Pepperell Reading, Sherborn, Shirley, Somerville, Stoneham, Stow, Sudbury, Townsend, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Weston, Winchester, and Woburn.

Essex County

  • Essex is also divided into two areas.

  • Northern Essex Service Link: Free Consumer Notification tool provides alerts by name and town; contact registry upon suspicious alerts.

  • Northern Essex District (Lawrence Registry of Deeds) includes Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, and North Andover.

  • Southern Essex Service Link: Property Watch notifications via email cover deeds, liens, UCCs, foreclosure documents.

  • Southern Essex District (Salem Registry of Deeds) covers Amesbury, Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynn, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Middleton, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wenham.

Worcester County

  • Service Link: Consumer Notification Service

  • Details: Free tool for up to 3 properties, email alerts for recordings, with link to view documents on MassLandRecords.

  • Towns: Ashburnham, Ashby, Auburn, Barre, Berlin, Blackstone, Bolton, Boylston, Brookfield, Charlton, Clinton, Douglas, Dudley, East Brookfield, Fitchburg, Gardner, Grafton, Hardwick, Harvard, Holden, Hopedale, Hubbardston, Lancaster, Leicester, Leominster, Lunenburg, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, New Braintree, North Brookfield, Northborough, Northbridge, Oakham, Oxford, Paxton, Petersham, Phillipston, Princeton, Royalston, Rutland, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Southbridge, Spencer, Sterling, Sturbridge, Sutton, Templeton, Upton, Uxbridge, Warren, Webster, West Boylston, West Brookfield, Westminster, Winchendon, and Worcester.

Plymouth County

  • Service Link: Property Fraud Alert

  • How to sign up: Simply register your name with the Property Fraud Alert site.

  • Plymouth County includes Abington, Bridgewater, Brockton, Bryantville, Carver, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, East Wareham, Elmwood, Green Harbor, Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Hingham, Hull, Humarock, Kingston, Lakeville, Manomet, Marion, Marshfield, Marshfield Hills, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, Monponsett, North Carver, North Pembroke, North Scituate, Norwell, Onset, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester, Rockland, Scituate, South Carver, Wareham, West Bridgewater, West Wareham, White Horse Beach, and Whitman.

Barnstable County

  • Service Link: Cape Cod Consumer Notification Service

  • Sign-up: Visit the Barnstable Registry’s site to learn how to register and receive alerts.

  • Barnstable County is made up of the following towns on Cape Cod: Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, and Yarmouth.

If you get an alert — what to do next

  1. Don’t panic, but act quickly. An alert may simply be a routine mortgage discharge or correctly recorded refinance; but if you don’t recognize the document, treat it seriously.

  2. Open the recorded document online. The alert will normally include a book/page or a link so you can view the recording on the registry’s land records system (or on MassLandRecords.com). Viewing the actual document will tell you whether it’s legitimate.

  3. Contact the Registry of Deeds immediately. Each registry has contact info and staff who can help you confirm the recording and advise next steps. Provide them the alert details and ask for guidance.

  4. Contact your title insurer and a real estate attorney. If the document appears fraudulent, your owner’s title insurance (if you purchased it at closing) may cover defense and loss — call them right away. An attorney experienced in real estate and land-records can advise on quiet-title and corrective actions if needed.

  5. If you suspect identity theft or criminal fraud, notify local law enforcement and consider filing a report with the FBI’s Boston field office. Quick reporting speeds resolutions and helps investigators. (Local registries frequently reference FBI warnings about quitclaim deed fraud.)

Tips to improve the usefulness of your alerts

  • Register owner names exactly as they appear on your deed and include variants (e.g., “Jane Doe” and “Jane A. Doe”) to catch different recordings.

  • Add both your mailing and property addresses where allowed — some fraudulent filings use slightly different addresses.

  • Use a secure, monitored email account for your CNS registration so you don’t miss alerts.

  • Keep copies of your deed, homestead (if filed), title policy, and mortgage payoff paperwork in a secure place; you’ll need them if you need to dispute a recording.

Bottom line

Deed-monitoring alerts are free, fast, and effective early-warning tools that every Massachusetts homeowner should use — especially if you own property in Suffolk, Norfolk, or Middlesex counties. They don’t stop fraud from being recorded, but they make it much easier to respond quickly, call your title insurer, and get legal help before a small problem becomes a major headache. Sign up today for the registry notification service that covers your town and sleep a little easier knowing someone’s watching your public record for you.

Dwell360 is an elite residential real estate firm based in Waban, Massachusetts, servicing the cities and suburbs of metro Boston. Owned by REALTORS Ed Johnston and John Lynch, Dwell360 is a leader in luxury real estate throughout Newton, Needham, Boston, Brookline, and other communities of the greater Boston area and on Cape Cod. Search for homes in Massachusetts or give us a call!

Sources:

Dwell360 Team
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