PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — Property fraud is a growing concern across the country, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Pueblo County officials say property fraud can happen without a homeowner ever knowing, until it's too late. It's one of the main reasons why the Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder's Office created a free alert system called Fraud Notify, according to Pueblo County Recording Lead Scott Wright.
"If a document gets recorded with their name on it, whether they're a guarantor or a grantee, they'll get an instant notification so they're not blind sided. So if something is suspicious or fraudulent, they're able to take immediate action on it before there's any damage," said Wright.
Wright says the program is gaining notoriety with hundreds of people already signed up.
MORE | Sign up for Fraud Notify here
Danny R. is a Pueblo resident who signed up in late February to protect his property. He says he has lived in his home for more than 22 years.
"It makes me feel comfortable in the fact that I'll be notified if my name shows up on any document that passes the County Clerk and Recorder’s Office," said Danny.
Danny told News5 he was motivated to sign up after concerns about liens.
"You read all the time about people taking your title or taking your property," said Danny. "My concern in the back of my mind was liens, because somebody could do a property lien without your knowledge, being deceitful about it. They could put a lien against your property and when you try to do something with the property, you have to satisfy the lien whether it's legitimate or not"
Fraud Notify has been around for more than a year, alerting property owners if anything has been filed in their name, including a lien, deed, trust, and other documents associated with the property, according to Wright. If multiple people are listed on a deed, it's advised to include all names when signing up for the fraud alert.
"If anybody's trying to do something fraudulent and they're just picking one of the members on the deed, you want to be able to include them in the fraud alert, so that you are notified that there is a document recorded with that individual's name that's on the deed to the property," said Wright.
Fraud Notify is available for property owners in Pueblo County. It takes minutes to sign up and could save you from months of legal headaches.
Wright says property fraud isn’t widespread in Pueblo County, but officials are taking a proactive step to protect homeowners.
You can create a Fraud Notify account online or in person at the Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder's Office. The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder's Office offers a similar, free property protection program.
This article was written by KOAA News5 Consumer Reporter Kierra Sam. Have a story? Send an email to kierra.sam@koaa.com.
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