New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched an Office of Deed Theft Prevention on Friday.<\/p>\n
Deed theft is when a scammer steals someone’s home, often by forging documents or tricking someone into signing over a deed. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Mamdani’s announcement comes three weeks after a CBS News New York investigation found that complaints about deed theft have skyrocketed across the state of New York<\/a>.<\/p>\n What to know about the new office<\/p>\n Mamdani says his new Office of Deed Theft Prevention will flag suspicious property filings, work with law enforcement and educate homeowners on protections.<\/p>\n “City government has too often stood idly by while deed theft occurs,” he said, adding, “Every New Yorker should be able to lead a dignified life in the home that they grew up in, in the city that they love.”<\/p>\n The new office will be led by Peter White, an attorney with Access Justice Brooklyn, who says seniors in Brooklyn and Queens are especially hard-hit by predatory practices<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Many potential scammers see these people as potentially the most vulnerable people in New York City, and we’re gonna try to correct that,” White said.<\/p>\n The office will be part of the Department of Finance, which records property documents.<\/p>\n The mayor says his team will also help connect homeowners in need to legal counsel.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mamdani vowed during his campaign to commit $10 million to deed theft prevention. The new office is set for a baseline of $1 million for its first year.<\/p>\n “That will grow as Peter grows this office,” he said.<\/p>\n Deed theft in NYC<\/p>\n Earlier this month, a CBS News New York investigation found complaints about deed theft to the New York Attorney General have tripled in the last few years<\/a>, jumping 240% from the start of 2023 through last year.<\/p>\n The topic of homeowner protections made headlines again this week when Brooklyn Council Member Chi Oss\u00e9 was arrested fighting a constituent’s eviction<\/a>.<\/p>\n So how does a fraudulent deed get accepted in the first place?<\/p>\n “I think that there are a lot of hands involved, and that everybody has to be proactive and really push vigilance,” said Mark D’Addona, who leads a title insurance company and the New York State Land Title Association.<\/p>\n Mamdani also announced he is pausing the city’s tax lien sale for six months.<\/p>\n \n More from CBS News\n <\/p>\n