(Feb. 2, 2010) – After a trial year in which nearly 7,800 people signed up, the Allen County Recorder’s Office has exercised an option to continue offering its online property fraud alert service.

The Recorder’s Office this week renewed its agreement with Fidlar Technologies to provide Property Fraud Alert at no charge to citizens. The alert service, first launched in 2008, was made available at no charge to citizens in January 2009. Continuing to offer the service at no charge to users will cost $3,250 per year, paid through fees collected by the Recorder’s Office for routine business.

“Property Fraud Alert has made it possible for thousands of people to take a proactive step toward protecting themselves from this form of identity theft,” said Allen County Recorder John McGauley. “A difficult economy makes property fraud more appealing to the perpetrators and more difficult for the most vulnerable among us to protect themselves against. Continuing to offer Property Fraud Alert at no cost to the users is without a doubt in the best interests of the community.”

While it can happen to anyone, perpetrators of property fraud often prey on the elderly, people in long-term care facilities, absentee property owners and owners who spend large parts of the year out of town. At least two cases of alleged property fraud have occurred in Allen County. The crime has occurred throughout Indiana and is rampant in other parts of the United States.

A common property fraud scenario involves a criminal filing a bogus deed making it appear that the actual owner had transferred ownership of a parcel to someone else. The criminal then takes that deed to a bank, fraudulently obtains a mortgage and then disappears with a large amount of money.

Property owners can sign up by going to www.allencountyrecorder.us/pfa. Signup is quick and requires only the person’s name and a phone number or e-mail address. The system delivers an alert by e-mail or telephone if the user’s name appears in a document filed in the Allen County Recorder’s Office. Those without access to a computer can sign up by calling (260) 449-7165.

Most alerts received will be for legitimate documents, such as those filed when a home is bought or sold. But if the property owner is concerned about a document he or she is unaware of, the alert contains information that allows the owner to investigate the matter and take appropriate action.

Allen County was the first county in Indiana to implement the automated alert service and has the largest number of participants enrolled of any participating county in the nation.