52-year-old Edwin McLaren was convicted on 29 charges after a successful prosecution and was sentenced to a total of 11 years in jail. His wife, Lorraine McLaren, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after being convicted of of two charges, including one of mortgage fraud.

Lindsey Miller, deputy crown agent at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “[Edwin] McLaren’s actions were conducted in such a covert way that it was an incredibly demanding investigation.” 

The deputy crown agent went on to say that: “The prosecuting team [was] able to put in front of the jury compelling evidence and the story of a man who was calculated in his deception and showed no remorse for the victims of his deceit.”

Edwin McLaren had placed advertisements in newspapers targeting those who may have been in financial difficulty and then  convincing them to sign over their homes before duping them into transferring the proceeds of the sale to a bank account controlled by McLaren.

In some cases, he provided a loan to pay off the mortgage and any other debts, but instead arranged the sale of their property to a third party.

When Edwin McLaren was sentenced, Lord Stewart in the High Court noted that his “motivation was to obtain funds from mortgage lenders to finance an affluent lifestyle”.

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Lord Stewart continued: “The evidence which the jury must have accepted demonstrated breathtaking dishonesty in every aspect of your enterprise…” 

Since September 2009, the Land Registry has prevented fraud amounting to around £92m.
 
The Land Registry is continually monitoring and reviewing its anti-fraud practices and policies, but admits that its system is not infallible. It encourages vigilance and recommends that property owners sign up to a free service, which alerts them to any activity. Another measure that can be put in place is to put a restriction on your title, preventing any registration of a sale or mortgage unless it is certified by the owner’s solicitor.

Property fraud can occur in many different and increasingly complex guises. For lenders, identification checks can provide some protection, but latent fraud in a transaction is still difficult to predict. Suitable insurance can provide protection and peace of mind to both property owners and lenders. 

Titlesolv’s policies cover fraud as well as claims of duress and undue influence. Our six-month ‘cure or pay’ promise is unique for this type of cover and acts more like a guarantee than an indemnity. The insured is not required to prove loss and all claims are settled within six months, providing a far swifter means of recovering losses than litigation.

Titlesolv is the trading name of London & European Title Insurance Services Ltd authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.