Auditor and Franklin County Officials Host Home Title Fraud Summit
Published on 15 May 2026
Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano, Franklin County Recorder Daniel J. O’Connor, Jr., and Columbus REALTORS® hosted a Home Title Fraud Summit on Friday, May 15, bringing together local government officials, law enforcement, title professionals, real estate regulators and community partners for a focused discussion on how to better identify, prevent, investigate and address home title fraud.
The summit focused on the transfer and recording process, the investigation and prosecution of home title fraud, and potential solutions to strengthen protections for property owners.
“While the number of reported home title fraud incidents in Franklin County remains small, the impact on victims can be significant,” said Franklin County Auditor Michael Stinziano. “As Auditor, I am always looking for ways to advocate for residents and implement meaningful changes that better protect property owners. Today’s summit brought together the Auditor’s Office, Recorder’s Office, Columbus REALTORS®, law enforcement, prosecutors, title professionals and state regulators to identify warning signs, strengthen coordination and discuss policy or process improvements that could help protect homeowners across Ohio.”
The program opened with welcome remarks from Auditor Stinziano and Recorder O’Connor. The first panel focused on the transfer and recording process, including how property transfers are reviewed, where vulnerabilities may exist and what warning signs property owners, buyers and professionals should know.
As part of the discussion, the Auditor’s Office highlighted recent work with the Franklin County Engineer’s Office to update property transfer and conveyance standards. Those updates include language reserving the right to require photo identification or additional documentation when there is reasonable suspicion that a document may be false or fraudulent.
The summit also included a panel on the investigation and prosecution of home title fraud, moderated by Auditor Stinziano. The discussion included insight from law enforcement and prosecutors on evidence, investigative challenges and the complexities of prosecuting these cases.
The program concluded with a solutions-focused panel moderated by Recorder O’Connor. The discussion focused on existing safeguards, public notification tools, documents most at risk of fraudulent activity, ways to streamline the process of addressing fraud after it occurs and potential legislative changes that could give local offices more tools to help prevent fraud before damage is done.
Topics discussed throughout the summit included vulnerabilities in the transfer and recording process, red flags for buyers and property owners, types of properties that may be more vulnerable to fraud, documents most at risk of fraudulent activity, existing fraud prevention safeguards, public notification tools, investigative and prosecutorial challenges, court process improvements and potential legislative changes.
Home title fraud can involve the fraudulent transfer or attempted transfer of property ownership, often through forged or falsified documents. Property owners are encouraged to review their property records, keep their mailing information current and report suspicious activity involving their property.