NEWS
COUNTY OF Schoharie LAUNCHES FRAUD ALERT FOR PROPERTY OWNERS AND ALL COUNTY RESIDENTS
SCHOHARIE - Our Senior Citizens and all Residents can be alerted, informed & educated when it comes to their homes and property.
Schoharie County Clerk Lawrence J. Caza, in conjunction with IQS, (Info Quick Solutions), is now providing a new, no-cost notification tool to make property owners aware of any potentially fraudulent activity concerning their most valuable assets, their homes and property.
“My office has received increasing calls and visits from residents concerned about the possibility of having their Homes & Property fraudulently deeded away from them. Of course, there are many commercials from for-profit companies out there that will charge significant fees to “protect” your deed or “Lock your Title”. We believe these ads are worsening the “panic” in some people. Although the risk in rural areas is very low, it can happen if there are unscrupulous people and notaries willing to falsify signatures, commit forgery and other associated crimes. But we caution folks about paying fees for services to “protect” their deed. Know exactly what you are getting and if you need it, before paying for such a service.”
The County Clerk’s Office is now able to link folks to a Fraud Alert website where anyone can sign up to receive an email notification whenever a document is recorded or filed in your name in the Schoharie County Clerk’s Office. This is not only for land records but will also alert for any document filed in the Clerk’s Office.
It is important to keep in mind that this Fraud Alert system will not prevent a fraudulent document from being created and filed, but it will make you aware that there has been activity recorded in your name. If it wasn’t actually done by you, you’re at least on notice.
Please keep in mind there may be other property owners in the County that share the same name, so look things over very carefully. To sign up for the free Fraud Alert service visit the County Clerk’s Web page on the Schoharie County Website, or go directly to: