Niagara County Clerk Joe Jastrzemski is encouraging residents to sign up for a free service that can help protect them from title fraud. Fraud Alert is a tool provided through the clerk’s office that alerts people whenever a document, such as a deed or a mortgage, is recorded under their names with the Niagara County Clerk.
“We have all heard the horror stories of fake titles being filed on people’s homes that they were never made aware of and it becomes a legal nightmare,” Jastrzemski said. “While this service cannot block any attempted filings, the fact you are notified instantly allows you to contact law enforcement and get a lawyer to immediately put a stop to it.”
Sign-up is easy, according to Jastrzemski. The steps are:
1 — Go to www.niagaracounty.gov and click County Clerk under the “Departments” tab;
2 — On the left side, under “Related Links,” choose IQS Fraud Alert;
3 — You will be taken to the Search IQS Fraud Alert site where you will sign up by entering your email address and the names of those you want to receive alerts for, such as yourself and your spouse;
4 — Agree to the Terms and Conditions, select “I am not a robot” and then click sign up;
5 — You will then receive an email to confirm your account and verify your email address.
“The whole process takes five minutes, which is well worth it to know you are protecting your most valuable asset — your home,” Jastrzemski said.