Tami Hines, Bartholomew County recorder, speaks during a press conference touting free property fraud protection offered by recorders across Indiana on Jan. 31 at the Johnson County West Annex. RYAN TRARES | DAILY JOURNAL
At a glance
Property fraud protection
What: A free service providing an early warning system for property owners when someone records a fraudulent document in the county land records office.
Where: Offered in all 92 Indiana counties
How to sign up: Go to the Johnson County recorder’s office online at co.johnson.in.us to find a link, or go directly to PropertyFraudAlert.com to register. People can also call 800-728-3858.
FRANKLIN — The deception and theft could go unnoticed until it was too late.
More and more, homeowners across Indiana and the United States are suffering property fraud and identity theft. Criminals record fraudulent documents in county land record offices to make it look like they own other people’s property. To reverse the fraud could require lengthy legal battles, ruin people’s credit and even result in eviction from their homes.
The Johnson County Recorder’s Office, and recorders across the state, are sounding the alarm about property fraud — and highlighting a free tool to monitor it for all Indiana residents. Fourteen county recorders gathered in Franklin Wednesday to bring awareness about property fraud protection, a notification service that alerts people of possible fraudulent activity being committed against the property.
“We want to take proactive steps to help protect the property of our residents,” said Teresa Petro, Johnson County recorder. “For most people, their property is the biggest investment they will ever make, and we as county recorders want to help you protect it.”
People can easily sign up for the alerts online through the Johnson County recorder’s website, or by calling the hotline at 800-728-3858.
The exact amount of property fraud going on in Indiana is unknown, said Nicole Keesling, Allen County recorder and legislative co-chair of the Indiana Recorders Association. But recorders across the state want people to be prepared.
“All counties across the state have this free service,” Keesling said. ”We want to make sure residents understand the importance of this program.”
Indiana’s property fraud protection programs were introduced to the public in 2007. Not only is it free to residents, but it’s free to recorders’ offices as well; no tax money is used for it, Petro said.
To date, more than 72,000 Indiana residents have signed up for the service. Johnson County has almost 8,000 registered since the alert program went into effect locally in 2016, Petro said.
Property Fraud Alert does not prevent fraud from happening; rather, it serves as an early detection system so property owners can determine if anything criminal is taking place.
“We don’t have an exact incident that happened, but we do have a lot of people who call or come in and they didn’t realize a mechanical lien or a sewer lien had been placed on their property,” Petro said. “If you’re signed up for this, you can get alerts from any type of document.
“It’s a great program, and I urge all of you to sign up for it.”
In Johnson County, property fraud protection comes through a program called Property Fraud Alert administered by Fidlar Technologies, which in 2023 oversaw alerts for 43 other Indiana counties. Another company, Doxpop, provides similar services to 46 Indiana counties, including Bartholomew, Brown, Hancock and Shelby counties.
After people sign up for alerts, they are given notice any time a document is recorded involving their property or their names — by text, phone call, email or all three. Residents can immediately begin investigating what has been filed and take steps to undo it if it is fraud, said Tami Hines, Bartholomew County recorder.
“It’s not always about property fraud, but any activity on your account about your property. It’s a really great awareness program,” she said.
Property fraud remains an infrequent crime in Indiana, as state regulations for recorders and notary laws make it more difficult to change documents than in other states. Still, the issue is on the rise throughout the United States, and county recorders want Indiana residents to be proactive.
“It’s not something we can prevent, but we can take proactive steps. Help us protect the properties of Indiana by signing up for property fraud protection,” Keesling said.
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