Housing Fraud in Philly Running Rampant
A Philadelphia man, Robert Stokes, has been arrested and is facing charges for stealing six properties in the city.
The 50-year-old is being charged with multiple counts of forging documents, tampering with official records and theft connected to the stolen properties. The District Attorney's office says the man forged the signature of the properties' rightful owners and used a counterfeit notary stamp and notarizations on the deeds to transfer the properties into his name. All the properties were owned by someone who was poor, elderly, or deceased.
The notary stamps and signatures that the accused used were the same and fraudulent. He is also accused of using the same Pennsylvania driver's license and signature when he recorded the fraudulent deeds with the Visitor Register at the City Hall Department of Records.
This isn't the only case of property fraud the District Attorney's office is investigating. William Johnson is accused of stealing seven houses in North Philadelphia with deeds containing fake signatures of dead owners or aging "sellers," One Philadelphia resident said Johnson stole her late father's home and resold it for $50,000 without her family's consent. Another 91-year-old woman lost her house when her name was forged on a deed in 2017.
Last year, the number of people in Philadlephia who claimed to be victims of deed fraud jumped by more than 70 percent, according to City of Philadelphia data.
The NBC local affiliate in Philadelphia spoke with a notary public whose signature had been forged. She was shocked after seeing a document bearing her stamp, which had not been stolen, but instead, had been replicated.
Notaries: be aware of where your notary stamp is at all times. You are responsible for the security of your notary stamp. Do not allow another person (or notary) to use your stamp. If you are resigning your commission or your commission has expired and you have received a new stamp, destroy your old stamp so it cannot be used to commit fraud.
Remember too that each notarization you complete must be recorded in your journal.
The 50-year-old is being charged with multiple counts of forging documents, tampering with official records and theft connected to the stolen properties. The District Attorney's office says the man forged the signature of the properties' rightful owners and used a counterfeit notary stamp and notarizations on the deeds to transfer the properties into his name. All the properties were owned by someone who was poor, elderly, or deceased.
The notary stamps and signatures that the accused used were the same and fraudulent. He is also accused of using the same Pennsylvania driver's license and signature when he recorded the fraudulent deeds with the Visitor Register at the City Hall Department of Records.
This isn't the only case of property fraud the District Attorney's office is investigating. William Johnson is accused of stealing seven houses in North Philadelphia with deeds containing fake signatures of dead owners or aging "sellers," One Philadelphia resident said Johnson stole her late father's home and resold it for $50,000 without her family's consent. Another 91-year-old woman lost her house when her name was forged on a deed in 2017.
Last year, the number of people in Philadlephia who claimed to be victims of deed fraud jumped by more than 70 percent, according to City of Philadelphia data.
The NBC local affiliate in Philadelphia spoke with a notary public whose signature had been forged. She was shocked after seeing a document bearing her stamp, which had not been stolen, but instead, had been replicated.
Notaries: be aware of where your notary stamp is at all times. You are responsible for the security of your notary stamp. Do not allow another person (or notary) to use your stamp. If you are resigning your commission or your commission has expired and you have received a new stamp, destroy your old stamp so it cannot be used to commit fraud.
Remember too that each notarization you complete must be recorded in your journal.
