County Recorders Continue Offering Free Document Monitoring Service In Effort To Alert Property Owners Of Possible Fraudulent Filings Against Their Real Estate

In Benton, Arkansas, the Hot Springs Village Voice reports:

• Property and mortgage fraud are a growing problem nationally.
  
  “According to the FBI, there is no faster growing white collar crime in the country than property and mortgage fraud,” says Myka Bono Sample, Saline County circuit clerk and recorder.
  
  Sample’s office offers a new online subscription service to the public. At no charge, taxpayers can have their name and property monitored within the recorder’s office to track possible fraudulent activity.
  
  “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,” Sample told the Voice.
  
  “And while it can happen to anyone, perpetrators of property fraud often prey on the elderly, people in long- term care facilities, absentee property owners and owners who spend large parts of the year out of town,” Sample said.
  
  The property fraud alert system notifies individuals by email or by a phone call when transactions involving their property are recorded in the Saline County Register of Deeds Office. “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,” she said. “This can include notices of fraudulent liens or mortgages.
  
  “The best protection we can offer against property fraud is proactive protection,” Sample added. It’s easy to sign up for the service, she said. Property fraud alert is now available on www.salinecountycircuitclerk.com or at www.propertyfraudalert.com. The public may also call 1-800-728-3858 or call the recorder’s office at 501-303-5607.

Source: Free fraud protection service monitors mortgage transactions.