WILCO – Property and mortgage fraud are the fastest-growing crimes in the country, according to the FBI, and even residents of smaller towns like Taylor are not immune. Williamson County Clerk’s Office is offering a free Property Fraud Alert program to help Wilco residents protect their homes or businesses.
The Property Fraud Alert program is a notification service that alerts subscribers if a document with their name on it is submitted to the County Clerk Recording Office. Such documents could include fraudulent property transfers or fake construction liens, as well as legitimate paperwork.
“I recommend everyone signing up in every conceivable fashion their name can be spelled. First and last name, with and without middle name, using initials...all variations on their name so they’ll get notified. Better safe than sorry,” said County Clerk Nancy Rister.
The program scans an index of county court records nightly and checks for name matches with people who have signed up. If a match occurs it triggers a notification.
Rister said her office has seen property and mortgage fraud incidents in the county, including people posing as homeowners to sell a house they didn’t own and an attempted foreclosure from nonpayment on a fake lien the homeowner had no knowledge of.
“In Taylor, there’s been an issue with a man moving into a place, essentially being a squatter, then they file paperwork in our office that claims they are the owner now,” she said.
In 2022, more than 29,000 Texans reported being the victim of internet-based crimes, for a total of $632,407,611 in losses. While many think of cyber-crime in connection with credit card fraud, statistics show that real estate fraudsters are increasingly finding ways to use the internet for their crimes as well.
People over age 60 are frequent targets because they own their homes and often have fewer internet resources, according to the FBI. Nationally, victims in this age group lost 3.1 billion to internet-based crime last year.
“As we see more and more fraud happening, preparing people on how to protect themselves is more and more important,” Rister said. “I’m extremely proud to be able to provide this free alert program for our residents. The program makes it easy for our residents to protect their investments.”
Williamson County residents can sign up for the service at www. propertyfraudalert. com/TXWilliamson. Residents can choose the method of contact that best works for them and will be notified when a document with their name has been filed.
If a person receives a notification, they can go online to verify the document. In the case of a false lien, there is a link on the county clerk’s web page with instructions for protesting the lien. Rister advises contacting the county clerk’s office at 512-943-1515 with any questions.
“I would encourage you to get help quickly if there’s any fraud. Hire an attorney and fight,” Rister said, adding that these crimes can strike anyone. “Suddenly you’re a victim, and you had no way of knowing this was even coming.”
