According to the FBI, someone could be trying to sell your home without your even knowing about it.

The FBI said identity thieves in other parts of the country are finding ways to steal homes from their rightful owners in burglaries even the best alarm systems can't protect.

"You could be living in your home and papers could be filed with the county that there is another legal owner to your residence," said FBI agent Robert Ambrosini.

The crime is known as "house stealing," and according to the FBI, it's growing in popularity on the West Coast thanks in part to the confusion surrounding the home foreclosure crisis.

The thief picks a home and spends a few minutes on the Internet, researching it to find more personal information about the owner.

The thief then makes a fake ID and heads to the recorder of deeds office to transfer the home into someone else's name.

By the time the homeowner finds out what happened, the thief has already sold the house to an unsuspecting buyer, pocketed the money and disappeared.

"I mean, these folks are very brazen about what they're doing," said Ambrosini. "They're also keeping up with the trends of what's going on in society."

But what is worst of all is that the homeowner is still responsible for the mortgage on a home he or she no longer owns .

According to the FBI, there are two ways to protect yourself. First, check on your deed once a year. And whenever you get what you think is junk mail about new mortgages or refinancing, don't throw it away. Read it carefully, as it could be your only clue.

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