Buying land in the Philippines without verifying the title is one of the most expensive mistakes a buyer can make. A parcel may look clean on paper and even be occupied peacefully, yet still be burdened by mortgages, adverse claims, annotations, overlapping rights, tax problems, inheritance issues, or outright fraud. In Philippine property transactions, the safest rule is simple: do not rely only on the seller’s copy of the title. Verification must be done against official records, especially at the Registry of Deeds.

This article explains, in Philippine legal context, what land title verification is, why it matters, what to check at the Registry of Deeds before purchase, how title verification relates to tax declarations and cadastral records, what red flags should stop a sale, and what legal and practical risks remain even after a title appears clean.

1. Why title verification matters

A land sale in the Philippines is not just a private agreement between buyer and seller. Land ownership, transfers, encumbrances, and many real rights are governed by a formal system of registration. Because of this, the buyer must investigate both:

the seller’s authority to sell, and
the condition of the title in official records

A title may be fake, cancelled, reconstituted under suspicious circumstances, duplicated, already sold, mortgaged, subject to court litigation, covered by government claims, or affected by rights not obvious from a casual inspection.

The buyer’s goal is not merely to see a title. The buyer’s goal is to determine:

whether the title is genuine
whether the seller is the true registered owner or authorized representative
whether the property described in the title is the same property being offered
whether there are liens, encumbrances, or notices affecting it
whether the title is transferable
whether there are practical or legal risks outside the face of the title

In Philippine law and practice, this is part of due diligence. It is especially important because real property values are high, disputes can last years, and an innocent buyer is not always fully protected.

2. What is the Registry of Deeds

The Registry of Deeds is the government office that keeps the official records of registered land titles and many instruments affecting registered land. Each city or province generally has its own Registry of Deeds with jurisdiction over land located in that area.

The Registry of Deeds handles matters such as:

issuance and storage of title records
registration of deeds of sale, mortgages, leases, easements, and other instruments
recording of annotations such as adverse claims, notices of lis pendens, attachments, and court orders
issuance of certified copies of titles or related documents, subject to applicable procedures

For a buyer, the Registry of Deeds is the most important official source for checking the status of a titled property.

3. The legal framework behind title verification

Land title verification in the Philippines is mainly understood within the Torrens system and related land registration laws. The basic legal backdrop includes:

the Property Registration Decree
the Civil Code rules on sale, ownership, co-ownership, succession, agency, and real rights
rules on notarial documents
tax laws and local government rules on real property taxes
special laws affecting certain lands, such as agricultural, public, ancestral, or government-regulated lands

The Philippine land registration system aims to provide security of title. But that does not mean every title shown by a seller is automatically genuine or risk-free. The system protects registered ownership strongly, yet fraud, forged documents, fake owner’s duplicates, double sales, falsified IDs, and boundary problems still occur in actual transactions.

Because of that, the buyer must distinguish between:

what the title appears to say, and
what the official records, land history, and actual facts reveal

4. What kind of title is being verified

Before anything else, the buyer must identify what document is being presented. In everyday practice, sellers may use the word “title” loosely. But legally and practically, the buyer must know whether the land is covered by:

an original certificate of title
a transfer certificate of title
a condominium certificate of title, if relevant to a condominium project
a tax declaration only, without a registered title
a patent-based title derived from public land disposition
an old title, reconstituted title, or administratively complex title history

For ordinary private land purchases, the most common documents are:

Original Certificate of Title (OCT), often where title first entered the registration system
Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT), issued after transfer from one owner to another

If the seller has only a tax declaration and no Torrens title, that is a completely different risk category. A tax declaration is not equivalent to a certificate of title. It may support possession or claim, but it is not itself conclusive proof of ownership in the same way a registered title is treated.

5. The first document the buyer usually sees: the owner’s duplicate title

The seller often presents the owner’s duplicate copy of the title. This is important but not sufficient. It must never be treated as final proof by itself.

Why not?

Because the owner’s duplicate may be:

forged
altered
outdated
cancelled but still physically existing
inconsistent with the Registry’s records
in the hands of a person who is not the lawful owner
subject to annotations not fully understood by the buyer

The seller’s copy is only the starting point. Verification must move to the official records.

6. What the buyer should get from the Registry of Deeds

A prudent buyer should secure, review, or cause to be secured official title information from the Registry of Deeds. Depending on local procedure and the circumstances, this commonly includes:

a certified true copy of the title
verification of existing annotations and encumbrances
copies of annotated instruments where necessary
confirmation of the title number, registered owner, and technical description
verification whether the title is still active, transferred, or cancelled

The certified true copy is crucial because it reflects what is in the official registry records, not merely what the seller hands over.

The buyer should compare the seller’s owner’s duplicate with the certified copy from the Registry of Deeds line by line.

7. What exactly to check on the title

A buyer should not just look at the name of the owner. Proper verification requires a close reading of the title’s essential details.

A. Title number

Check whether the title number on the seller’s copy exactly matches the Registry records. Any discrepancy is serious.

B. Registered owner’s name

The seller must be the registered owner, or must have clear legal authority to sell for the owner.

Points to watch:

spelling variations
maiden and married names
suffixes
corporations with similar names
heirs selling before title transfer to heirs
agents acting without proper special authority

If the title is in the name of a deceased person, that is a major issue. Heirs cannot simply sell as though the property were already individually theirs unless succession requirements and transfer formalities have been properly addressed.

C. Civil status of the owner

Civil status matters because the property may belong to the conjugal partnership, absolute community, or other marital property regime.

Questions to ask include:

Was the owner married when the property was acquired?
Is spousal consent required?
Is the spouse deceased?
Was there a prior marriage affecting property rights?
Is the title in one spouse’s name but actually part of the marital property?

Failure to involve the necessary spouse or spouse’s estate can create major validity problems.

D. Technical description

The title contains the property’s technical description, often including:

lot number
plan number
boundaries
area
location
reference points

This must match the property actually being offered. Buyers should not assume that the house, fence, road access, or occupied area corresponds exactly to the titled property. The land being shown on the ground may exceed, fall short of, or differ from the titled area.

E. Encumbrances and annotations

This is one of the most important parts. The annotations section may reveal rights or claims affecting the property, such as:

real estate mortgages
adverse claims
notices of lis pendens
attachments
notices of levy
easements
lease rights
court orders
rights of way
restrictions on transfer
pending consolidation or foreclosure matters
hereditary issues
conditions attached to patents or grants
notices involving government agencies

A title that looks “clean” at the top can still be legally dangerous because of annotations at the back or in the memorandum section.

8. What is a “clean title”

In everyday real estate language, people say a title is “clean” when it has no annotations suggesting liens or disputes. But legally, the phrase can be misleading.

A “clean title” in casual speech usually means:

no mortgage annotation
no adverse claim
no notice of lis pendens
no levy or attachment
no visible restriction affecting sale

Even then, the title may still be risky because of matters not fully resolved by a surface reading, such as:

forged underlying documents
unauthorized signatories
conflicting possession
unpaid taxes
missing estate settlement
fraudulent reconstitution
zoning or land-use restrictions
agrarian reform coverage
overlap with road, creek, or government reservation
rights of informal occupants
title derived from questionable transactions

A clean title is good, but it is not the end of due diligence.

9. Certified true copy versus owner’s duplicate

The buyer must compare the seller’s duplicate title with the certified true copy from the Registry of Deeds.

The comparison should cover:

title number
registered owner
technical description
area
annotations
page and entry details, where visible
any indication of cancellation, transfer, or inconsistency

If the seller’s duplicate and the Registry’s certified copy do not match, the transaction should stop until the discrepancy is professionally explained and resolved.

Even a small mismatch may point to:

tampering
outdated copy
previous transfer
clerical issue needing correction
fraud

10. Verification of annotations and encumbrances

Annotations often determine whether a property can be safely bought.

A. Mortgage

A mortgage annotation means the property has been used as security for a loan. A buyer must determine:

whether the mortgage is still outstanding
whether it has been released
whether the seller intends to use sale proceeds to pay it
whether a proper release of mortgage will be registered

Do not assume a paid loan automatically means the mortgage is cleared. The release must usually be documented and registered.

B. Adverse claim

An adverse claim signals that another person asserts a right over the property. This is a major warning sign. The buyer should find out:

who filed it
on what basis
whether it has lapsed, been cancelled, or remains disputed
whether litigation is pending

C. Notice of lis pendens

This means the property is involved in ongoing litigation affecting title or possession. Buying property subject to lis pendens is highly risky because the buyer may be bound by the outcome of the case.

D. Levy or attachment

This may indicate the property is subject to execution or court process to satisfy a claim or judgment. Such property requires extreme caution.

E. Restrictions from patents or government grants

Some titles derived from public land grants, homesteads, patents, or special dispositions may carry restrictions on transfer within certain periods or under certain conditions.

A buyer must never assume all titled lands are equally transferable under identical rules.

11. Trace the title history, not just the current title

A careful buyer often needs more than the current title. Some transactions require a look into the mother title or prior transfer history.

Why this matters:

to detect suspiciously rapid transfers
to see whether subdivisions were properly derived
to identify problematic prior owners
to understand whether the current title came from extrajudicial settlement, judicial settlement, foreclosure, donation, partition, or other transfer mode
to detect signs of double sale or fabricated history

When a title was recently transferred several times in quick succession, especially among related parties or intermediaries, caution is justified.

12. Verify the deed and the seller’s authority

Title verification is not complete without checking the seller’s legal power to sell.

The buyer must determine whether the seller is:

the registered owner
one of several co-owners
an heir
an attorney-in-fact
a corporation through authorized officers
a guardian, administrator, or judicial representative
a spouse acting with or without required consent

Common authority problems

A. Sale by an heir before settlement

If title is still in the name of the deceased, an heir may not simply sell the entire property as sole owner without proper succession documents and authority.

B. Sale by only one co-owner

A co-owner generally cannot validly sell the shares of other co-owners without authority.

C. Sale by agent without proper special power

Authority to sell land should be specific and properly documented. A vague authorization is dangerous.

D. Corporate sale without board authority

If the seller is a corporation, check the board resolution, secretary’s certificate, and authority of the signatory.

E. Marital consent problems

A spouse may not validly sell community or conjugal property alone when the other spouse’s consent is required.

13. Verify identity, not just paperwork

One of the most common fraud patterns in land sales is impersonation. The title may be real, but the seller is fake.

Because of that, buyers should verify:

government-issued identification
tax identification details where relevant
signatures
photographs
marital status
residence
relationship to the property
authority documents if acting for another

The buyer should be wary when:

the seller avoids personal appearance
the seller insists on rushing the transaction
the seller uses only photocopies
the seller says the owner is abroad and communicates only through intermediaries
the signatures look inconsistent
the IDs appear dubious
the owner knows little about the property

A genuine title does not protect a buyer who pays the wrong person.

14. Verify the tax declaration and tax payments

Although the Registry of Deeds is central, land verification does not end there. The buyer should also examine local assessor and treasurer records.

Why tax records matter

They help confirm:

the declared owner for taxation purposes
the assessed location and area
whether real property taxes are updated
whether improvements exist on the land
whether there are arrears

Important point: tax declarations and tax receipts are not conclusive proof of ownership in the same sense as a registered title. But they are still significant supporting records and may reveal inconsistencies.

Red flags in tax records

title in one name, tax declaration in another, without explanation
large unpaid real property tax arrears
mismatch in area or location
improvements existing on the ground but not reflected
multiple declarations affecting the same property

15. Check the actual property on the ground

Registry verification must be matched by physical inspection.

A buyer should inspect:

boundaries
fences
occupants
access roads
structures
neighboring lots
signs of possession by others
irrigation, creeks, right-of-way issues, or utility lines
whether the lot is landlocked
whether the property being pointed to is the same lot in the title

A title can be real, but the wrong parcel may be shown to the buyer. Physical inspection helps expose:

encroachment
informal settlers or tenants
occupied farmland
boundary disputes
undisclosed easements
overlapping possession

The buyer should ask nearby owners or occupants who actually uses the land and whether disputes exist.

16. Commission a relocation or geodetic survey when needed

If there is any uncertainty on identity, location, area, or boundaries, a buyer should consider a survey by a licensed geodetic engineer.

This is especially important when:

the lot is vacant
the monuments are missing
the area is large
the boundaries are disputed
the property is irregularly shaped
neighboring occupants challenge the lines
the title description is old or unclear
the lot is part of a subdivision or partition

A survey helps answer a crucial legal-practical question: Is the land being sold the same land described in the title?

17. Check for court cases and disputes

A buyer should find out whether the property is involved in:

ownership litigation
annulment of title proceedings
partition disputes
inheritance disputes
ejectment or possession cases
expropriation matters
agrarian disputes
foreclosure litigation

Sometimes the title itself already shows a notice of lis pendens. But not all disputes are visible immediately from the face of the title, especially if no annotation has yet been made.

This is why interviews, document review, and broader due diligence matter.

18. Verify whether the land is agricultural, residential, commercial, or otherwise regulated

Use classification matters. A buyer should determine whether the property is:

agricultural land
residential land
commercial or industrial land
forest land or timberland claim area
within protected or regulated zones
under agrarian reform issues
affected by local zoning or land-use restrictions

Why this matters:

some lands cannot be freely converted or used as the buyer expects
agricultural tenancy or agrarian issues can greatly complicate possession and use
titled status does not automatically eliminate all regulatory concerns
land near shorelines, rivers, roads, or public areas may face legal limitations

Registry of Deeds verification is essential, but land-use verification with relevant offices may also be necessary.

19. Special caution on inherited property

Inherited land is one of the most common sources of post-sale problems.

The buyer must check:

whether the registered owner is deceased
whether an extrajudicial settlement or judicial settlement exists
whether all heirs participated
whether estate taxes and transfer formalities were completed
whether minors were involved
whether a surviving spouse has rights
whether any heir is missing or contesting the transaction

A buyer who purchases from only some heirs without proper transfer and authority may end up in a co-ownership or nullity dispute.

20. Special caution on co-owned property

If the title is in multiple names, each co-owner’s rights must be respected.

Important points:

one co-owner cannot automatically sell the entire property for everyone
consent and signatures must match the extent of the sale
the deed must reflect the actual interests being conveyed
partition issues may arise later if only a share is sold

A buyer must know whether the seller is selling:

the entire property, with all co-owners joining, or
only his undivided share

That distinction is critical.

21. Special caution on property under mortgage or foreclosure

If the property is mortgaged, the buyer should not proceed casually.

Key questions:

Who is the mortgagee?
Is the loan in good standing?
Is foreclosure pending?
Has the mortgage been released?
Will the release be registered before or simultaneously with the sale?

Where foreclosure has occurred, additional questions arise:

Has ownership already consolidated?
Is redemption still possible?
Who is entitled to convey title?
Are there pending challenges?

A buyer who ignores these issues may pay for a property that cannot yet be safely transferred.

22. Verify the title is not fake, reconstituted suspiciously, or duplicated

Some land scams involve:

fake owner’s duplicate certificates
genuine title numbers matched to false owners
tampered pages
duplicate or overlapping titles
suspicious reconstituted titles after loss of records
forged deeds used to produce later transfers

This is why the buyer must rely on official Registry data and not just documents handed over by brokers or sellers.

Warning signs include:

blurred seals or odd formatting
inconsistent paper quality
visible erasures
suspiciously fresh-looking old titles
mismatched page details
sellers unable to explain title history
refusal to allow independent verification

23. The importance of the title’s technical description

Many buyers focus only on ownership and miss the technical description. That is dangerous.

The technical description tells the legal identity of the land. It matters because:

area may be smaller than represented
the lot may be landlocked
the boundary on one side may be a road, creek, or another owner
the lot number may differ from what the broker says
subdivision plans may have altered lot configurations

A buyer should compare the title’s technical description with:

tax declaration records
lot plan or subdivision plan
actual inspection
geodetic findings if needed

24. Verify access and easements

Some land is technically titled but practically unusable because of access problems.

Questions to examine:

Does the lot abut a public road?
Is there a titled right of way?
Is access merely tolerated by a neighbor?
Is the road private, disputed, or seasonal?
Are there utility easements or drainage burdens?

Registry annotations may reveal easements, but sometimes the practical access problem only appears on site.

A landlocked lot can lead to costly disputes even if title is valid.

25. Verify whether tenants, occupants, or informal settlers exist

Possession matters. A buyer should ask:

Who is occupying the land now?
Are they owners, caretakers, lessees, tenants, relatives, or squatters?
Are there houses or crops?
Are there informal settlers who will resist turnover?
Are there farm tenants or agricultural occupants?

A buyer should never assume that title automatically delivers peaceful possession. Ownership and possession are related but not identical in real disputes. Removing occupants may require legal proceedings.

26. Why tax declarations alone are not enough

In many provincial or family sales, a seller may say the property is “only tax declared.” That is a very different situation from purchasing titled land.

A tax declaration shows the property is declared for taxation. It may help prove possession or claim, but it is not the same as a Torrens certificate of title.

Risks of buying tax-declared land include:

uncertain ownership
overlapping claims
incomplete titling history
public land issues
succession problems
boundary uncertainty
future title application challenges

Where the topic is title verification at the Registry of Deeds, the key point is this: if there is no registered title, the Registry may not provide the same assurance a buyer expects from titled land.

27. Verify notarial and documentary integrity

Even if the title is clean, the sale itself can fail if documents are defective.

The buyer should ensure that the deed of sale and related documents are properly prepared and notarized. Problems include:

fake notarization
absentee signing falsely notarized
defective acknowledgments
unsigned pages
wrong property description
wrong names or civil status
missing spouse signatures
wrong tax identification details
questionable witnesses

Defective documentation can create serious registration problems and later attacks on validity.

28. Check whether seller’s duplicate is available and intact

For ordinary voluntary transfers of registered land, the owner’s duplicate title is usually important for registration. If the seller cannot produce it, that is a major issue.

Possible explanations may include:

title lost
title held by a bank due to mortgage
title withheld due to prior sale or dispute
title already surrendered in another transaction
title not actually in seller’s control

A missing owner’s duplicate does not automatically mean fraud, but it absolutely requires explanation and careful legal handling.

29. Mother title, subdivision, and condominium-style concerns by analogy

Where a lot came from a larger parcel, subdivision history should be checked.

Concerns include:

whether the subdivision was properly approved
whether the lot being sold is truly segregated from the mother title
whether roads and common areas are accounted for
whether title issuance to the specific lot is complete
whether the developer or subdivider still holds interests

A buyer should avoid paying for a lot that is merely “promised” to be titled later unless the risks are fully understood and contract protections are strong.

30. Registry verification does not replace legal analysis

Some buyers think that obtaining a certified true copy ends the process. It does not.

Registry verification tells the buyer what is officially recorded. But a sound pre-purchase review also asks:

Is the seller legally capable of conveying ownership?
Are all necessary persons signing?
Are taxes and fees manageable?
Are there hidden heirs or co-owners?
Is there actual peaceful possession?
Is the title history suspicious?
Is the property use lawful and intended use feasible?
Is the purchase price consistent with risk?

A property can be registrable on paper but still be a poor or dangerous acquisition.

31. The doctrine of buyer diligence in the Philippines

Philippine property practice often emphasizes that a buyer must exercise prudence. Although buyers of registered land are often allowed to rely on the title, that protection is not absolute in all practical settings.

A buyer is safer when acting in good faith and with ordinary prudence, which typically includes:

examining the title
checking annotations
investigating visible possession
verifying the seller’s identity and authority
questioning inconsistencies
stopping when red flags appear

Good faith is weakened when the buyer ignores obvious warning signs.

For example, suspicion should arise when:

the property is occupied by someone other than the seller
the seller cannot explain annotations
the price is far below market without reason
the seller pushes immediate cash payment
the owner is abroad but documents are informal
the title records and tax records conflict
there are known family disputes

32. Common red flags that should stop the transaction

The following are serious warning signs:

seller refuses independent Registry verification
owner’s duplicate does not match certified copy
title bears adverse claim, lis pendens, levy, or unresolved mortgage
title is in the name of a deceased person
only one heir or one co-owner is selling entire property
spouse’s consent is missing where required
tax records do not match title records
the land shown on site appears different from title description
occupants claim ownership or tenancy
seller cannot produce the owner’s duplicate
special power of attorney is vague or suspicious
the purchase is rushed
price is unrealistically low
title history is very recent and suspiciously layered
property is under litigation or family dispute
the seller avoids personal appearance before notary or buyer

Any one of these may justify pausing the deal. Multiple red flags together may mean walking away.

33. Can a buyer rely on a broker’s assurance

No prudent buyer should rely solely on a broker, agent, relative, caretaker, or even local official’s assurance. Their statements are not a substitute for official verification and legal review.

A broker may help facilitate the transaction, but the buyer must independently verify:

the title
the identity of the owner
the encumbrances
the authority to sell
the property’s actual condition

The same caution applies to informal verbal assurances such as “clean yan,” “walang problema yan,” or “mana lang namin yan pero okay na.”

34. Timing of verification

Verification should happen before payment, not after. Ideally, due diligence begins before earnest money is given, and certainly before the buyer signs a final deed or releases substantial funds.

A prudent sequence often includes:

initial review of seller documents
Registry verification
tax and assessor verification
physical inspection
authority and identity verification
review of liabilities and annotations
preparation of protective contract terms
controlled closing and registration steps

Paying first and verifying later is one of the classic paths to litigation.

35. Reservation, earnest money, and conditional documentation

If the buyer gives reservation money or earnest money before full verification, the documents should clearly state the conditions.

Protective conditions may relate to:

successful title verification
removal of encumbrances
production of original title
proof of authority
delivery of tax clearances
absence of litigation
peaceful turnover of possession

A vague receipt can weaken the buyer’s leverage later.

36. What documents are often reviewed together with Registry records

A thorough buyer commonly reviews the following set together:

owner’s duplicate title
certified true copy from the Registry of Deeds
deed by which seller acquired the property
tax declaration
real property tax receipts or tax clearance
valid IDs of seller and spouse, if applicable
marriage certificate or proof of civil status, where relevant
death certificate and settlement documents, if inherited
special power of attorney, if represented
corporate documents, if corporate seller
survey plan or lot plan
clearances or certifications relevant to property type

No single document is enough on its own.

37. Risks that survive even after careful verification

Even strong due diligence cannot eliminate all risk. Some issues may only emerge later, such as:

hidden heirs
forged prior instruments not yet challenged
boundary conflicts that become active only after takeover
agrarian or tenancy issues
possession resistance
fraud involving identity rather than title
local government or land-use constraints
defects in prior estate proceedings
unrecorded personal disputes that mature into litigation

The purpose of verification is not to create absolute certainty. It is to reduce risk to a legally and commercially reasonable level.

38. The role of the deed of sale and closing structure

Title verification and transaction structure work together. Even where the title appears acceptable, the closing should be handled carefully.

Important practical protections may include:

simultaneous document signing and payment procedures
escrow-type safeguards in practice where feasible
withholding final payment until key conditions are met
direct settlement of mortgage balance to lender where needed
verification of release documents before full disbursement
proper turnover of title, tax documents, and possession

A clean title can still lead to trouble if the closing is badly structured.

39. Registration after purchase is part of the buyer’s protection

Verification before purchase is only half the story. The buyer must also ensure prompt and proper post-sale registration. Until the transfer is properly registered and a new title is issued, the buyer’s protection is incomplete.

Delay in registration can create exposure to:

double sale complications
later annotations
disputes with creditors
evidentiary problems

For that reason, the buyer should think not just about whether the property can be bought, but whether the transfer can be cleanly completed and registered.

40. Practical summary of what to verify at the Registry of Deeds

Before purchasing titled land in the Philippines, the buyer should verify at the Registry of Deeds at least the following:

that the title number exists and is authentic
that the seller matches the registered owner or has proper authority
that the certified true copy matches the seller’s duplicate
that the technical description corresponds to the property being sold
that the title remains active and uncancelled except as properly explained
that all annotations, liens, claims, and restrictions are understood
that prior title history does not reveal obvious irregularity
that supporting instruments, where relevant, are reviewed

This should then be checked against:

tax declaration and tax payment records
actual inspection and occupancy
boundary or survey findings
succession, marital, co-ownership, or corporate authority issues
litigation and possession realities

41. Final legal perspective

In the Philippines, verifying land title at the Registry of Deeds before purchase is not a mere formality. It is the core legal safeguard in any real estate acquisition. The buyer must not rely only on the seller’s duplicate title, broker representations, or tax receipts. The official records of the Registry of Deeds must be checked, the annotations understood, the seller’s authority confirmed, and the titled property matched to the actual land on the ground.

The wisest buyer treats title verification as a layered legal process. First, confirm that the title is genuine and currently effective. Second, determine whether the seller can legally convey ownership. Third, review annotations, taxes, possession, boundaries, and history. Fourth, stop immediately when red flags appear. In Philippine property transactions, most serious losses do not happen because buyers failed to sign documents. They happen because buyers signed too early, verified too little, or trusted the wrong person.