She attempted to transfer property to herself using forged documents, police say
A real estate broker in Saratoga County is facing multiple felony charges in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently transfer property ownership.
Jean C. Maloney, 64, was arrested by New York State Police on May 14 after an investigation into a Halfmoon-based business’s complaint revealed forged documents and false property ownership claims.
Maloney, who owns 21st Century Properties and Hanks Hollow Realty, was hired by the unnamed business to manage a series of real estate transactions. However, investigators allege she forged the business owner's signature on a sales contract to unlawfully sell one of the company’s properties to herself. The fraudulent sale was intercepted before it could be finalized, after the forged document was discovered.
According to police, the investigation also uncovered a separate incident from September 2024, in which Maloney allegedly submitted a loan application falsely claiming ownership of the same property.
She now faces charges of second-degree forgery, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, first-degree identity theft, and first-degree falsifying business records.
Maloney surrendered voluntarily to State Police in Clifton Park, was arrested, and later arraigned in Halfmoon Town Court. She was released on her own recognizance pending further proceedings.
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The case underscores growing concerns around title and deed fraud in the real estate industry, crimes that are becoming easier to commit with readily accessible technology.
“Twenty-five years ago, it wasn't easy to forge documents. Now, literally every computer has the technology to create a believable forgery, and you can buy a fake notary stamp online,” California-based real estate fraud attorney David Fleck said in a 2024 interview with Realtor.com. “So the technology has very quickly gotten ahead of the systems we have in place to prevent this.”
Fleck, who has handled numerous home title theft cases both in private practice and during his time as a prosecutor in Los Angeles, warns that the consequences can be devastating. In one instance, he witnessed an elderly homeowner evicted from her residence of 25 years after scammers forged foreclosure documents and wiped out her equity.
While there are no comprehensive national statistics tracking title fraud, the FBI’s 2023 Internet Crime Report recorded 9,521 complaints of cyber-related real estate and rental fraud, with losses totaling over $145 million.
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