Home ownership statuses leaked: what it means and what to do
Risk level: low. Can you change it: no. Found in 5 breaches in this directory.
What this data is
A field showing whether you own your home outright, have a mortgage, rent or live with family, collected by lenders, insurers, utilities and marketing surveys.
The risk on its own
Low risk. Knowing whether you rent or own gives nobody access to your home, accounts or identity. In many places property ownership is a matter of public record anyway.
The risk combined with other data
With your name, address and phone number it steers the scams you receive. Homeowners get fake mortgage relief, refinancing offers, deed copy letters and home repair scams, while renters get fake rental listings and deposit scams. It also feeds broker profiles used to sell loans and insurance.
How criminals use it
A homeowner receives an official looking letter offering a certified copy of their property deed for a large fee.
A caller offers mortgage relief or a lower rate and asks for upfront fees or online banking details.
A renter searching for a new place is sent a fake listing that asks for a deposit before any inspection.
A door knocker offers urgent roof or storm repairs to local homeowners and disappears with the deposit.
What to do now
Contact your lender only through the number on your statements, and never pay an upfront fee for mortgage relief.
Ignore paid deed copy offers. Property records are available directly from your land titles office or county recorder.
Pay a rental deposit only after inspecting the property and confirming the agent or landlord is real. In Australia, bonds go to your state or territory bond authority.
Sign up for a free property fraud alert where one exists, such as HM Land Registry Property Alert in England and Wales or a county recorder alert in the US.
Opt out of the data brokers that sell homeowner and mortgage lists.
Frequently asked questions
Can someone steal my house because they know I own it?
Title fraud is rare and depends on forged documents, not on this field. A free property alert, where available, tells you if anything is lodged against your property.
Why do I get so many refinancing offers?
Homeowner and mortgage lists are compiled and sold, and leaks add to them. Treat unsolicited offers as marketing at best.
Is it sensitive that I rent?
Not really. It mostly decides which rental and deposit scams reach you.
Breaches that exposed this data
Exactis: 2018-06-01, 132M accounts, Credit status information, Dates of birth, Education levels, Email addresses, Ethnicities, Family structure
Data Enrichment Records: 2016-12-23, 8.2M accounts, Buying preferences, Charitable donations, Credit status information, Dates of birth, Email addresses, Family structure
Experian (2015): 2015-09-16, 7.2M accounts, Credit status information, Dates of birth, Email addresses, Ethnicities, Family structure, Genders
Breach data sourced from Have I Been Pwned, used under CC BY 4.0. Additional breach metadata provided by XposedOrNot. DataExposed is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either.