Title
Receive and accept the Annual Real Estate Fraud Report for Fiscal Year 2025-26 submitted by the District Attorney’s Office in accordance with California Government Code section 27388, subdivision (d).
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Receive and accept the Annual Real Estate Fraud Report for Fiscal Year 2025-26 submitted by the District Attorney’s Office in accordance with California Government Code section 27388, subdivision (d).
SUMMARY:
The District Attorney’s Office hereby submits its Annual Real Estate Fraud Report for FY 2025 - 26 for the Board of Supervisors to evaluate the District Attorney’s Office’s effectiveness in investigating, prosecuting, and deterring real estate fraud.
DISCUSSION:
The District Attorney’s Office received 27 real estate fraud referrals during FY 2025-26. These referrals came from multiple sources, including local police agencies, private sector professionals, and Monterey County residents. They demonstrate that real estate fraud continues to pose a risk to Monterey County homeowners and residents. The new referrals involved a variety of alleged fraud schemes, including the recording of fraudulent deeds, classic timeshare-related frauds, fraudulent sale of vacant land by impersonating the absentee owner, mortgage loan fraud, and unlicensed real estate activity. Many referrals came from people who have worked with our office in other cases and so know how to spot and report potential fraud. This speaks to the benefit of continued prosecution of these crimes, and the of the value of community outreach.
The District Attorney’s Office has continued to participate in the Monterey County Financial Crime Task Force (MCFCTF), which is a collaboration between the San Francisco Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office whose mission is to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals engaged in financial crimes, including real ...
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