A Waialua family of seven was thrust into fear and uncertainty when a stranger arrived at their longtime home and claimed he legally owned the property, presenting a deed that prosecutors say was forged. The confrontation left father of the family home stunned as the man allegedly threatened eviction, despite the home having been in the family across generations. Investigators say the suspect is tied to a larger Hawaii title-fraud scheme involving multiple properties, where forged deeds were recorded without verification, technically shifting ownership on paper even when signatures and dates did not add up.
Although the family immediately recognized the deed as fraudulent, noting it claimed to be signed by a relative who had already passed away, undoing the filing required legal action and weeks of distress. The suspects have since been indicted, but the real homeowner says his family still lives in fear after the attempted takeover and extortion demands. The case highlights how vulnerable Hawaii homeowners are to deed forgery schemes, where criminals exploit recording systems to gain control of homes before families even realize what has happened.
This story was first reported by hawaiinewsnow.com
