Did you know that liens can be filed on your real property without your knowledge or consent, even if they’re not valid? Did you know those liens can affect title to your property? Did you also know someone can create a fraudulent deed that gives your real property to someone else? It’s all very scary and, unfortunately, happens frequently. That’s why the Lee County Clerk of Courts recently launched a new Property Fraud Alert program.
The Property Fraud Alert program is completely free and allows subscribers to register their name (or any name) into the fraud alert system, and the system will alert registered users within 48 hours if a document has been recorded with the name of a registered user. This system will allow early detection of potentially fraudulent activity, which allows property owners to act fast and avoid issues down the road.
Why is the system so important?
Property owners will never know if an official record has been recorded in their name or on their property if they are not consistently monitoring Lee County’s official records. The Property Fraud Alert system does the work for you. If you are a registered user, the system will email you if a document has been recorded with your name on it. The email will also give you a link to review the recorded document. If the document is fraudulent or a mistake has been made, you have the opportunity to take immediate action to fix the potentially fraudulent activity.
Are you ready to subscribe yet?
If so, just go to this link: https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/FraudAlert.
Enter the name of the person or business you want to monitor and the email address where you would like to receive the alerts. You can monitor as many names as you wish.
Tips for subscribing:
- Use a personal email address that you check regularly. This system can’t help if alerts aren’t received.
- Register your name as follows:
First and Last
First, Middle, and Last
First, Middle Initial, and Last
The system will only notify the registered user if the name on the recorded document exactly matches the registered name. Make sure to register multiple variations of your name.
- Register yourself and other family members. There is no limit for how many names you choose to monitor, so keep an eye on yourself and your family.
If you think you are a victim of a fraudulently recorded document, contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office fraud line at 239-258-3292 or by email at fraudline@sheriffleefl.org. You may also wish to contact an attorney to determine whether you should take legal action to undo the fraudulent recording.