Rising concerns about AI-facilitated property scams have been highlighted by a spate of sophisticated attempts to 'hijack' homes across the UK, with dozens targeted in recent months. New data from HM Land Registry reveals 55 attempted hijacking cases between April 2025 and March 2026, underscoring the need for enhanced security measures to protect property owners.
The scams involve criminals using forged documents and stolen identities to either sell a property, secure a mortgage against it, or transfer its ownership without the true owner's knowledge. Vulnerable properties include those without a mortgage, buy-to-let investments, and homes left vacant for extended periods, as suspicious activity might go unnoticed until significant damage has occurred.
Pete Gatenby, AI practice partner at Novus Strategy, warns that while owner impersonation fraud is relatively rare, its impact can be high, and the advent of AI significantly escalates the risk. He suggests current figures may understate the future threat, as AI-generated fake documents could bypass existing verification processes designed for older fraud methods.
A major challenge in combating this type of fraud lies in the fragmented landscape of property transactions. Gatenby highlights that no single organisation possesses a complete overview of the entire process or comprehensive view of owner impersonation risk. HM Land Registry tracks suspected fraudulent registration applications, Action Fraud records payment diversion cases, but incidents involving forged identity documents or fraudulent conveyancer certification are not consistently tracked, creating gaps in oversight.
Gatenby advocates for stronger identity verification through high-standard homeowner verification, such as passport NFC chip verification. He argues that enabling this verified identity to be reused by trusted parties throughout the conveyancing process – from estate agents and brokers to lenders, conveyancers, and HM Land Registry – would significantly bolster protections against fraudulent property transactions.
The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and industry initiatives are laying groundwork for trusted digital identity frameworks. Horizontal Digital Integration (HDI), which enables verified identities to be reused throughout the conveyancing process, is seen as a key solution in reducing opportunities for fraud.