The Law Society has warned homeowners not to be taken in by ‘scaremongering’ adverts offering ‘ineffective’ insurance protection against property fraud.

The warning follows the publication of title theft protection insurance adverts that Chancery Lane says have been ‘aggressively marketed’ by some insurance companies.

The adverts claim to protect homeowners from property fraud, but the Law Society says that in reality they do ‘very little’ to protect people. Law Society president Linda Lee said that the adverts were merely scaremongering and the policies were ineffective in the fight against fraud.

She said: ‘These particular insurance products create no barrier between home owners and fraudsters. There are much more effective measures homeowners can take to guard against fraud.’

Lee said the Land Registry provides guidance to prevent fraud, and last year published a practice note with the Law Society to guide solicitors on how to tackle the problem. ‘If anyone has concerns about title theft or property fraud in general, they should contact their solicitor rather than waste money on what is an ineffective insurance product,’ said Lee.