Can someone sell my property, or one I buy, with a forged deed or a fake owner ID?

Also asked as: “Can a property in Lebanon be sold with a forged deed?” · “Fake owner ID property sale in Lebanon” · “Can someone sell my land in Lebanon while I live abroad?” · “How do I avoid property forgery in Lebanon?”

What the 2026 police cases describe#

In June 2026 the Internal Security Forces (ISF) reported an arrest over a property in Halat, near Jbeil. The ISF said the deed had been forged using a fake identity document in the real owner's name, and ownership passed first to the forger and then to a buyer, although the owner had never sold^[1]. The buyer learned the deed was invalid only when he tried to register the property at the Land Registry, after he had already paid for it.

In July 2026 the ISF reported a suspect, arrested by the Baabda Judicial Detachment, who forged ownership deeds, identity cards and powers of attorney. He used them to obtain notarised powers of attorney before notaries and then mortgaged the properties to several people^[2]. For that case only, the ISF gave this contact for victims: Baabda Judicial Detachment: 05-922173.

In August 2026 notary offices in Jounieh and the Bekaa reported documents suspected of being forged, including powers of attorney, a property title deed and an identity card^[5]. Annahar reported in October 2025 a forged sale POA used against an expatriate's property in Jounieh^[2,12,13]. These are police and press reports of arrests and allegations, not court rulings.

Why the registry folio matters more than the seller's papers#

The Land Registry is kept by property. Each plot has its own real folio, and the title deed an owner holds is a copy of that folio^[3]. Ownership passes only when a sale is inscribed there^[4]. So a deed or ID that the seller hands you proves little on its own. What you check is the folio itself, through an extract that you or your own representative obtain.

The law protects someone who acquires a right relying on the registry's entries, unless they knew beforehand of the defects that would annul it^[3]. The sources we read do not say how this rule settles a dispute between a real owner and a later buyer after a forgery, so ask a Lebanese property lawyer. There is also no state fund for registry errors: registry officials are personally liable for omitted or irregular inscriptions, and the State pays only if they cannot^[3,14].

The registry has weak points of its own. The Finance Minister said in April 2026 that the State keeps no images of the documents on which registrations were made, and that the paper registers have no comprehensive backup^[15]. Older records also lack details such as the owner's mother's name, which newer entries include. Keep your own copies of every deed, contract and power of attorney.

If you own property in Lebanon and live abroad#

Look at your own folio regularly. Since October 2020 OMT outlets have let customers view a property's title register and get an unofficial copy, in cooperation with the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre^[7,8]. OMT does not publish a fee, so ask at the outlet. Any request needs the property's governorate, district, real estate zone, property number, section and block^[7,10], where they apply.

A separate search by name lists all property registered to a person, using their full name, birth year and mother's name^[9,15]. Kallas Law Firm says it takes about 10 days^[9]. The sources do not say who may request a name search or at which office, so ask a lawyer or the registry office.

Keep a list of every power of attorney you have signed, and revoke the ones you no longer need. At least some Lebanese missions abroad handle revocations: the consulate in Dubai charges AED 276 per signature, and the embassy in the Netherlands arranges it by email. Neither page says how a revocation reaches the notary or the Land Registry in Lebanon^[16,17]. More in protecting your property from a forged power of attorney.

We found no source on whether an owner can place an alert or caution on their folio, or on how the registry and notaries check identity documents. Ask the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, which runs the registry under the Ministry of Finance^[7,18], or a Lebanese lawyer.

If it has already happened to you#

Report it through the ISF Baligh service, the ISF app or the nearest police station^[11]. Kallas Law Firm says fraud under Art. 655 of the Penal Code can involve immovable property^[19], including someone disposing of property they have no right to, or using a false capacity. The same firm says fraud is prosecuted without the victim's complaint and carries 6 months to 3 years in prison. According to Kallas, case law treats selling the same property twice as fraud.

Report quickly. Kallas says the limitation period runs from the last payment to the offender, not from the day you discover the fraud^[19]. A conviction does not by itself return the property or the money, and we found no source on civil remedies, so a lawyer is the next step. See where to report property fraud and what to do if you bought with a forged deed.