By: Kelly Martins, Union County Director of Communications
Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi is pleased to announce the continuation of the Property Fraud Alert program, a free subscription service designed to safeguard Union County homeowners against property fraud.
Property fraud is committed when someone illegally uses your property for monetary gain, often by recording a fraudulent document in the Union County land records office to appear as if they own your home or property.
It can also occur when someone illegally records a lien against your home or property.
“If someone files a property document with a similar or same name as yours, you will get an alert either by phone or email,” Ms. Rajoppi said. “Then you can go to the Clerk’s property website at https://ucnj.org/county-clerk/ to check to see if the document refers to your property address.
If it does, the homeowner should go to their local Police Department and file a police report. They can then take the report to the Office of the Union County Prosecutor, who will investigate.
Unfortunately, property fraud is one of the largest growing crimes in America today,” she added. “I’m hopeful this program will give homeowners some peace of mind.”
Since its inception nine years ago, Property Fraud Alert has been widely adopted by Union County homeowners, with thousands of subscribers benefitting from its protection. Homeowners and their family members can sign up for free by visiting www.propertyfraudalert.com/ or by calling the hotline at 800-728-3858.
Subscribers can choose how they would like to be notified whenever a document with their name is recorded in the participating County Land Records office - either by email, text message, or voice phone call.
This service is available for residential property owners, business owners, and properties owned as part of trusts.
Although Property Fraud Alert cannot prevent fraud, it serves as an early warning system, allowing property owners to take necessary actions if they suspect fraudulent activity. For more information, please visit www.propertyfraudalert.com/ or call 800-728-3858.
