Dane County Among First in State to Offer New Consumer Protection
June 25, 2008
Joshua Wescott, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823 or cell (608) 669-5606
Kristi Chlebowski, Register of Deeds, (608) 267-8814
County Executive
Free Service Alerts Property, Homeowners to Potential Fraud
Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk today urged county residents to take advantage of a new, free service now being offered by the Register of Deeds to help protect people against property fraud. People can sign up through the county’s website to receive Property Fraud Alerts, an automated database that monitors activity involving land records filed in the Dane County Register of Deeds Office.
“According to the FBI, there is no faster growing white collar crime in this country than property and mortgage fraud,” Falk said. “Thanks to the good work of our County Register of Deeds, we’re helping to protect Dane County consumers and offer an extra safety net.”
The Property Fraud Alert system notifies individuals when transactions involving their property are recorded in the Register of Deeds Office. It provides people advanced notice of possible fraudulent activity involving their land records. This can include notice of fraudulent liens or mortgages.
Since March, federal authorities have charged nearly 400 people nationwide, including 67 from the Chicago area for their alleged roles in one of the largest mortgage fraud schemes prosecuted.
Dane and Milwaukee counties are the first in the state to make the Property Fraud Alerts available for citizens. Those who are interested can sign-up online by clicking on “Property Fraud Alert” on the Dane County Register of Deeds website. That site is located at: http://www.co.dane.wi.us/regdeeds/fraud_alert.aspx
“This service is easy to sign up for and offers a little extra peace of mind with just a few clicks of the computer mouse,” Dane County Register of Deeds Kristi Chlebowski said. “Participants can chose whether to receive their alerts via e-mail or over the phone.”
The free service and database are managed and maintained by Fidlar Technologies, the county’s software provider for land records.
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