Real Estate Fraud Alert Programs by County
Real Estate Fraud Alert Programs by County
How Southern California Counties Help Protect Property Owners
When fraudulent real estate documents are recorded, it can take years before property owners realize they have been scammed. To better protect residents from real estate fraud, County Recorder/Clerk’s offices and local law enforcement agencies have worked together to create Real Estate Fraud Prevention Notification Programs, which alert property owners when documents are recorded affecting their property.
Los Angeles County
The Department of Consumer and Business Affairs operates the Homeowner Notification Program. With the Homeowner Alert Service (e-Notification), property owners can register their email to be alerted whenever a foreclosure, transfer of title, or mortgage is recorded on their property with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. This notification allows property owners a means to identify potential real estate fraud activity, such as a fraudulently recorded deed. Additional features, such as submittable forms, are planned for the future.
Phone: (800) 593-8222
Email: homehelp@dcba.lacounty.gov
Online: dcba.lacounty.gov
Register for notifications: https://assessor.lacounty.gov/news-information/enotification
Orange County
The County Clerk-Recorder sends notification to property owners when a document is filed against their property. If a property owner did not initiate the document filing, they should contact their local police department or the Orange County Sheriff.
O.C. Sheriff: (714) 647-7040
Orange County District Attorney, Economic Crimes Unit: (714) 834-3600
Orange County Consumer Fraud Hotline: (714) 347-8706
Riverside County
The Recorder’s Office issues Courtesy Notices when a deed, deed of trust, or similar document is recorded. This notice alerts homeowners to recent recording transactions regarding their property. If the property owner is fully aware of the transaction, nothing further needs to be done. However, if the homeowner is unaware of any recent recordings, they are encouraged to contact the County of Riverside District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit.
Riverside County DA Real Estate Fraud Unit: 877.723.7779
San Bernardino County
To better protect County residents from real estate fraud, the Assessor-Recorder-Clerk, the District Attorney, and the Information Services Department joined forces to create the Real Estate Fraud Prevention Courtesy Notification Program, which alerts property owners of recent documents that have been recorded affecting their property.
Online: https://sbcountyarc.org/
Contact: 909.382.7700
San Diego County
The San Diego County Recorder has partnered with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office to fight real estate fraud. Owner Alert is a free, rapid notification service that plays a key role in stopping real estate fraud. Provided by the San Diego Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk office, Owner Alert uses cutting-edge technology with 24/7 monitoring to help protect homes and property titles from fraudulent theft.
Register for Owner Alert: https://arccprn.sandiegocounty.gov
Santa Barbara County
The Santa Barbara community has seen an increase in fraud associated with the real estate market. As a result, the District Attorney’s Office has an investigator and prosecutor assigned specifically to real estate fraud. This team focuses on cases involving real property investments (including deeds of trust and real property securities), foreclosure scams, loan modification scams, and fraud connected with real property transactions. They coordinate with other county, state, and federal agencies, as real estate cases often span multiple jurisdictions.
Property owners with a case involving real estate fraud can download the Real Estate Fraud Complaint Form, complete it, attach supporting documentation, and forward it to the address provided for review.
Complaint form: https://da.countyofsb.fraud articleorg/documents/refraudenglish.pdf
Phone: 805.568.2300
Ventura County
Ventura County offers a Real Estate Fraud and Fraud Guard Protection Service. To detect real estate fraud, the Recorder’s Office watches for documents that could potentially be fraudulent during the recording process. Experienced document examiners and a part-time fraud investigator review any cases of suspected real estate or elections fraud. Any documents that involve potential fraud or forgery result in an immediate report to the County of Ventura District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit for further investigation.
Property owners who suspect fraudulent activity related to the recording of a document within the Ventura County Recorder’s office may reach out to the County of Ventura District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit for further investigation.
Online: https://da.venturacounty.gov/divisions/investigation/#realestate
Phone: (805) 662-1750
Accuracy of information provided herein is not guaranteed. Source: County Recorder/Clerk websites.
Info provided by Howard B. Gilden, Vice President
Cell: 818.632.5356 | Off: 818.476.4000 | CS: 800.300.0775
Email: hgilden@wfgtitle.com | wfgtitle.com/hgilden
WFG National Title