May 17, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
Scammers can steal your property without you even knowing it, possibly costing you thousands of dollars to get it back.
DeKalb County Register of Deeds Daniel Seber recommends property owners register on https://www.mylandalert.com/ a free service that will alert if anything is recorded in the Register’s Office under their name in an effort to protect the owner from “deed theft”.
This property fraud alert program is an effort to help prevent fraudulent recordings impacting county property owners.
“Property-title fraud remains rare, but as property fraud and identity thefts increase, this extra layer of protection can be a valuable tool to protect our citizens,” said Seber. “DeKalb County is a great community, and although we’ve not experienced a large problem locally, we want to be proactive, and solution minded”.
The increased use of technology in real estate services now enables home purchases and other real-estate transactions to be conducted remotely. Parties may sign documents without touching a pen and use notarial services through two-way communications. Documents may be submitted for recording in digital format and not paper. This increased flexibility and accessibility has benefits for consumers but can heighten the risk of fraud.
Property owners can sign up for the program at https://www.mylandalert.com/ or click on this link. When a document is recorded under the name provided, users will receive an email alert and can contact the Register’s office at 615-597-4153 should they have concerns. There is no cost to sign up for the program.
“This service can provide peace of mind, and in the unlikely event fraud occurs, it can save citizens hours of time and legal fees,” said Seber.