Scam title

Scam titles are titles which have no legal validity (which have generally been sold illegally).

British Titles

The sale of British titles is prohibited by the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925. However this legislation only covers titles granted by the sovereign and did not address the misrepresentation of some other British 'titles'.

Misleading advertisements for lordships of manors sometimes appear in the press and on the internet suggesting that the buyer can call themself Lord/lady. A manorial lordship is not an aristocratic title, but a semi-extinct form of landed property. Lordship in this sense is a synonym for ownership. According to John Martin Robinson, Maltravers Herald Extraordinary and co-author of "The Oxford Guide to Heraldry", "Lordship of this or that manor is no more a title than Landlord of the Dog and Duck." It cannot be stated on a passport, and does not entitle the owner to a coat of arms, unlike knighthoods or higher titles.

Many websites also illegally sell completely bogus British titles and bogus lordships of manors. A website run by the Earl of Bradford focuses on this. [cite web |url=http://www.faketitles.com |title=The Site that Lifts the Lid |accessdate=2007-03-29 |format= |work=Fake Titles]

A common scam is to charge a fee 'gain a title' which in reality amounts to an explanation of how to change your name by Deed poll. While this would have the legal consequence of changing your name you would not gain a title. e.g. Mr "John Smith" could change his name to "Lord Smith" but he would then become Mr Lord Smith. However if the person changing their name attempted to pass themselves off as a genuine peer for advantage or gain they could commit a criminal offence.

Some businesses selling bogus titles provide a Foreign & Commonwealth Office apostille or legalization certificate, claiming that this proves the "title" is recognized by Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. In fact an apostille or legalization certificate only confirms that the signature, seal or stamp on the document is genuine. It does not mean that the contents of the document are correct or that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office approves of the contents.

There are additional warnings in the Land Registry's press release and its public guide, The sale of "titles" and Land Registry. [cite web |url=http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/assets/library/documents/public_guide_014.pdf |title=Land Registry Public Guide 14, January 2004 |accessdate=2007-03-29 |format= |work=Land Registry, UK Government site]

The only title that can be legitimately bought is a Scottish Feudal Barony. However they are often misrepresented as being the same as peerages which they are not.

European Titles

There has been a huge increase in recent years of individuals claiming to be the rightful heirs to principalities and/or kingdoms. They then offer to award or ennoble, as claimed "fons honorum", individuals with peerages or knighthoods. Needless to say, there is no legal basis for these awards.

References

ee also

* Scam genealogical books