By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-842585.mp3
Dallas, TX –
This week, Tarrant County is launching a free service called "Property Fraud Alert." KERA's BJ Austin says the County Clerk reports it's a first for Texas.
Tarrant County Clerk Suzanne Henderson says she kept hearing reports from law enforcement that mortgage fraud is the fastest growing white collar crime. She says she wanted to do something about it.
Henderson: I cannot do anything about documents being filed in this office. If it meets certain criteria I must accept it, and file it and record it. So, there's no way for me to know if it's fraudulent or not. I learned about this software that was available, called Property Fraud Alert that I could install. And the vendor would then run the call center for me at a minimum cost.
Henderson says Tarrant county property owners who subscribe online will then be notified when their names appear on any of 90 document types recorded in the Clerk's office. Alerts can be generated by email or telephone. Henderson's paying for it out of her budget, and offering it free to Tarrant County property owners.