UK Property Fraud and Scams: How Overseas Buyers Can Protect Themselves

The Short Answer

Most property fraud relies on one of two things: someone pretending to be the owner, or someone pretending to be your solicitor. You can reduce both risks by checking who owns the property at HM Land Registry, using a regulated conveyancer you have verified yourself, and confirming every set of bank details by phone before you send money.

Common Scams to Know

• Fake seller or identity theft. A fraudster pretends to be the registered owner of a property, often one that is empty or has no mortgage, and tries to sell it to an unsuspecting buyer.
• Payment diversion. An email that appears to come from your solicitor or agent says the bank details have changed, and asks you to send the deposit or completion money to a new account.
• Fake listings. A property is advertised at a low price by someone who does not own it. You are asked to pay a holding deposit or "reservation" before you view.
• Fake investment schemes. Promises of guaranteed returns on UK developments, often with pressure to pay quickly and to keep the deal confidential.
• Fake agents and solicitors. Websites and emails that copy a real firm's name and branding.

Check the Owner at HM Land Registry

For most properties in England and Wales, ownership is recorded at HM Land Registry. For a small fee you can download the register and title plan for a property. It shows the registered owner, any mortgage and any restrictions. Compare the owner's name with the person selling to you. Our guide to reading the title register as an overseas buyer explains what each part means.

Be cautious where the seller is not named on the register, where the registered owner lives abroad, or where the property has no mortgage and has been empty. Ask your solicitor how they will confirm the seller's identity.

Land Registry Property Alert

HM Land Registry offers a free Property Alert service. It emails you if there is activity on a property you name, so owners can spot suspicious applications. If you already own UK property, ask your solicitor about setting one up. It does not replace identity checks at purchase, but it is a useful warning for owners who live abroad.

Choose and Verify Your Solicitor Yourself

Use a regulated conveyancer: a solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or a licensed conveyancer regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers. Do not take a firm's details from an unsolicited email or from an agent's message alone.

• Search for the firm on the SRA or CLC register and check that the address and phone number match their website.
• Phone the firm on a number you found yourself.
• Ask whether the firm uses secure client portals, and how bank details will be shared.
• Check that the email domain you are writing to matches the firm's real domain.

Our conveyancing timeline for overseas buyers shows where money changes hands.

Protect Every Payment

The deposit on exchange and the balance on completion are the moments when fraudsters strike. A simple routine blocks most payment-diversion attempts:

• Receive bank details from your solicitor once, in writing, at the start of the transaction.
• Before sending money, phone the firm on a number you already trust and confirm the account number and sort code.
• Treat any email saying the details have changed as suspicious until verified by phone.
• Send a small test payment first if your solicitor agrees, and wait for confirmation.
• Never pay a deposit to an agent or a private individual unless your solicitor has confirmed it is correct.

Our guide to proof of funds and anti-money-laundering checks explains why your solicitor will ask for documents. These requests are normal. A request to skip them is not.

Red Flags

• A price well below similar properties nearby.
• Pressure to pay quickly or to avoid using a solicitor.
• A seller who will not meet, video call or let you view the property.
• Requests to pay by cryptocurrency, gift cards or an overseas account.
• Guaranteed returns, or a promise of a "buyback" at a higher price.
• Documents with spelling errors, mismatched names or no company number.

Check Developers and Investment Offers

For new-build or investment schemes, check that the company is registered at Companies House, that the development has planning permission on the local council's website, and that your deposit is protected under the terms of the contract. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) warns about unauthorised investment offers. If an offer involves pooled money, ask whether the firm is authorised and check the FCA register. Our guide to new-build reservation agreements covers the paperwork.

If You Think You Have Been Targeted

• Contact your bank immediately and ask it to recall the payment.
• Tell your solicitor and the firm you thought you were dealing with.
• Report the fraud to Action Fraud (the UK national reporting centre), or to your local police if you are outside the UK.
• Keep all emails, receipts and messages.

Speed matters. Banks have the best chance of recovering funds in the first hours.

Talk to Banke UK

Banke UK works with overseas buyers and can introduce you to the checks to expect from a solicitor and developer. We do not provide legal advice. To discuss a purchase, contact the Banke UK team.

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Procedures and services change, so confirm details with HM Land Registry, the SRA or CLC, the FCA and your own solicitor before you commit any money.