Fraud prevention service saves California property owner from sophisticated scam

EquityProtect, a leading innovator in real estate fraud prevention and data security, effectively protected a San Luis Obispo County property owner from a sophisticated real estate scam late last month. The situation marks the second time EquityProtect has prevented quit claim deed theft in San Luis Obispo County this year. In September, the company made headlines when it flagged and shut down a scam targeting a client subscribed to its monitoring service in the same county.

The two cases exemplify EquityProtect’s unique ability to identify and prevent fraud before it happens, highlighting the inefficacy of monitoring services that simply alert property owners after fraud has already occurred.

In late November, San Luis Obispo County property owner Charisse Martinucci, who had subscribed to EquityProtect’s proactive monitoring service, was immediately alerted that her property had been fraudulently listed for sale online.

EquityProtect, a company with affiliate relationships in counties nationwide, has pioneered not only the prevention of financial crimes, but also real-time alerts if a client’s property is listed on any online sales platform. It is the nation’s first and only true preventive solution to financial crimes associated with deed/title fraud.

Ms. Martinucci was notified by the EquityProtect system concerning the fraudulent listing. EquityProtect immediately stepped in to shut it down, contacting the listing agent and informing them that the lawful owner was not selling the property. They were, in fact, dealing with a fraudster.

“I was shocked to learn that someone was listing my property for sale, and I never would have known it if it weren’t for EquityProtect’s real-time monitoring,” said Martinucci. “Thankfully, the scam was flagged right away and the listing was removed before any further harm could be done. I am so thankful for EquityProtect’s fast-acting technology, which no doubt saved me from a financial headache of epic proportions.”

“Safeguarding homeowners from these devastating crimes is at the core of what we do at EquityProtect,” said Jon Dovidio, Vice President of Business Development at EquityProtect. “This type of fraud is widely misunderstood, and by combining education with proactive protection, we aim to drive real change—stopping these schemes and empowering homeowners to take back control of their property.”

Counties interested in learning more about how to partner with EquityProtect can connect with Jon Dovidio at jon@equityprotect.com.

About EquityProtect

As property fraud continues to rise, EquityProtect is at the forefront of real estate fraud prevention and data security with cutting-edge technology. A 2025 Inman Proptech Breakthrough award winner, EquityProtect develops innovative solutions to safeguard property owners and organizations from unauthorized data modifications and fraud, ensuring the integrity and security of real estate transactions worldwide.

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"This type of fraud is widely misunderstood, and by combining education with proactive protection, we aim to drive real change—stopping these schemes and empowering homeowners to take back control of their property.” - Jon Dovidio, EquityProtect