City attorneys from San Francisco and San Diego are seeking more information on a California-based company that allegedly scammed people into buying unnecessary home title protections.
The city attorneys on Monday said they issued a subpoena against Home Title Lock, which allegedly used deceptive advertising to sell an unnecessary subscription service meant to protect homeowners from having their homes stolen from them.
The company reportedly incited fear about “home title theft,” where scammers access a home title online, forge a signature, and claim that a home is sold to them. The company said this crime is rapidly on the rise across the country in their television, radio and online advertisements, and in order to protect their homes, homeowners should purchase their services.
The company is “proudly recommended” by prominent conservative figures like Newt Gingrich, Ben Shapiro, Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck, according to its webpage.
The city attorneys allege that the Home Title Lock services will not safeguard a person’s home title; it can only notify them that a deed has been recorded. And at least in California, a fraudulent deed would not result in the loss of a home or its equity.
“Home Title Lock targets and preys upon elderly Californians whose homes are their chief source of financial security,” San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott said. “It convinces its customers that they will wind up penniless if they do not invest in services they do not need. Home Title Lock’s conduct is not just illegal; it is unconscionable and cruel.” San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu alleges that Home Title Lock has “manufactured a ‘home title theft’ crisis” to specifically deceive elderly homeowners to buy services that many county recorders’ offices already do for free.
“Home Title Lock is a scam, plain and simple,” Chiu said.
“False identity theft scares, like those created by Home Title Lock, take attention away from important privacy and data security efforts. We are seeking further information to understand how many California homeowners may have been harmed by these misleading advertisements,” he added.
The attorneys allege that Home Title Lock’s ads may violate multiple state laws, like California’s Unfair Competition Law, in which courts are permitted to stop misleading advertising and provide refunds to consumers.
The filed subpoena seeks information about the company’s impact on consumers in California.
Consumers who have information about Home Title Lock are encouraged to contact the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office through its hotline at (415) 554-3977.
Home Title Lock did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
What the Constitution Means to Me Read moreWhat The Constitution Means To Me
Join us for community fun! Free antique and collectible appraisals by Clars Auction. Over 30… Read moreMillbrae Senior Showcase
Imagine the rock and roll of Jimi Hendrix, the wild abandon of Janis Joplin’s vocals, and th… Read morePacifica Performances presents…Dirty Cello
Kick off 2026 with movement, confidence, and FUN! Join us for our Last Chance to Dance Studi… Read moreLast Chance to Dance Open House- Free Dance Demos, Food, Face Painting & More!
Join the Belmont Parks and Recreation Department as we host our annual Sweetheart Dance for … Read moreSweetheart Dance
JustMike650 said:
Protected crosswalks are those with Yellow flashing independent lights activated by the pedestrian.
JustMike650 said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(1) comment
the solar heating people seek rundown houses to prey on homeowners in run down areas then put a lien en their houses with homeowners where did al this debt come from not approving these solar changes// more money for the scammers.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.