This project started with a close call, when a good friend of mine flew in from the mainland to spend the holidays together. He owns a piece of vacant land in Mauna Loa Estates, here in Volcano. On his way to visit, he stopped by the property — and found a “For Sale” sign on it!

The problem? He wasn’t selling it.

We called the agent listed on the sign. She was mortified. Someone pretending to be my friend had contacted her, claimed to be the owner, and asked her to list the property. He knew just enough personal information to sound credible. She told us there was already an offer and escrow had just begun. Thankfully, she stopped the process right away. But it came dangerously close to going through.

That same evening, we went to the police station in Pāhoa. The officer was extremely helpful but explained that because the sale hadn’t been completed, there was no crime to pursue. All we could do was file a report. Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time learning how these scams happen and what it takes to reverse them. If a fraudulent transfer goes through and gets recorded at the Bureau of Conveyances, undoing it isn’t easy. It usually involves lawyers, court orders, and months of legal work — even if you’re clearly the rightful owner.

That’s exactly what this service is here to prevent.

In most cases, title fraud starts when someone impersonates a property owner and gets a real estate agent to list the land. That’s the window where we step in. We monitor real estate platforms for unauthorized listings — especially vacant or out-of-state-owned land, which is often targeted. If it’s caught early, it can be stopped before it ever reaches escrow.

Because once the sale is recorded, it’s already too late.

Our mission is simple: protect landowners from title fraud before it turns into a legal battle. We know how fast these scams can move. And we’re here to help you stop them in their tracks.