County offers "Property Fraud Alert" program to property owners

In an effort to help prevent various forms of property fraud which could include the illegal ownership transfer of your home or building, St. Louis County is now offering County property owners a free, property fraud alert service. This service is aimed at preventing what the FBI calls the fastest growing white-collar crime: Property Fraud. It can happen to anyone who owns real property, and by the time the rightful owner finds out about it, it is too late – their home has been stolen and someone is long gone with the money.

These property thieves prefer vacant buildings, but will also target occupied houses. They find out who owns a property by searching public records and then fraudulently transfer a property deed. Property transfer forms, such as the "Quit Claim Deed" can be purchased virtually anywhere including office supply stores and online. All the thief has to do is forge the owner’s signature on the transfer document and file the paperwork with the Recorder of Deeds – and suddenly your property is theirs.

County Executive Charlie A. Dooley has taken steps to prevent home stealing in St. Louis County by implementing a notification service called "Property Fraud Alert" through the County’s Recorder of Deeds website. Property owners who enroll in the "Property Fraud Alert Program" are alerted when documents with their registered name are recorded. The service is completely free of charge to property owners in St. Louis County.

Signing up is simple and can be done by visiting the Property Fraud Alert website www.propertyfraudalert.com and selecting St. Louis County from the list of counties offering the service. The St. Louis County website www.stlouisco.com also offers a "click-through" link to the service.