County offers property protection alert

Property Fraud Alert is an online subscription service offered to the public that allows them to have their name monitored within the register of deeds office in order to track possible fraudulent recordings that affects their property.

The threat of mortgage fraud and identity theft crimes continue to rise, and all too often victims of these types of fraudulent activities are unaware their homes or identity have been stolen. While Property Fraud Alert does not prevent fraud from happening, it provides an early warning system for property owners to take appropriate actions should they determine possible fraudulent activity has taken place.

A common property fraud scenario involves a criminal filing a bogus deed, making it appear that the actual owner had transferred ownership of a parcel to someone else. The criminal then takes that deed to a bank, fraudulently obtains a mortgage and then disappears with a large amount of money. While it can happen to anyone, perpetrators of property fraud often prey on the elderly, people in longterm care facilities, absentee property owners and owners who spent large parts of the year out of town.

With Property Fraud Alert, subscribers are notified when the name they have submitted is used in any recording activities within the register of deeds office. When subscribing to the service, the subscriber will have the option to choose one of the following notification methods: email, text message or telephone call.

“The best protection against property fraud is being proactive. This service is easy to sign up for and offers a little extra peace of mind with just a few clicks of the computer mouse,” wrote Clark County Register of Deeds Mary Denk in a press release. “We have been asked many times if Clark County offered a notification service. We are happy to announce that we now offer this service to our constituents, free of charge.”

Property Fraud Alert is now available by subscription at propertyfraudalert.com/ WIClark or by calling 800-728-3858. The Property Fraud Alert link is also available from the Clark County website; click on Departments / Register of Deeds / Property Fraud Alert. You can also sign up by calling 715-743-5163.