LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Lubbock County is working to get ahead of a rising trend across the nation: fraudsters trying to take ownership of homes.
The new free program offered by the county clerk’s office notifies people any time a new document is recorded in the office with their name.
Property fraud is trending up across the country. The FBI reports that nationwide, from 2019 to 2023, more than 58,000 victims reported $1.3 billion in losses relating to real estate fraud.
Lubbock County Clerk Kelly Pinion says she isn’t aware of this happening in Lubbock, but it has happened across the state.(KCBD Video)
Lubbock County Clerk Kelly Pinion says she isn’t aware of this happening in Lubbock, but it has happened across the state.
“I wanted to get a jump on things and get this done,” Pinion said. “There are people with bad intentions that look for vacant houses or not necessarily vacant, but people to fraud. And they will have documents prepared and record them and transferring ownership.”
Vacant lots, rental units or vacation homes, and homes owned outright by seniors can be at higher risk.
Pinion said she wants to get ahead of the danger by letting people know when a document is recorded in their name. The free service is called Fraud Notify.
“There is a link that’ll take you right to the page. It gives you a little more of what it can do and can’t do, but we’re not attorneys. It’s just a heads up for you that you may need some legal help,” Pinion said.
To sign up, residents enter their email and name, including any nicknames or maiden names. They do not need to enter their address. Users receive an email confirmation after signing up.
Pinion said there are very few instances the office can refuse to file a particular document, so an alert does not mean the office can remove the document if it is fraudulent. She said residents will have to work with an attorney to have it declared null through the court system.
Pinion said the alert system is not the only way the office is working to prevent fraud, thanks to recent legislation.
“We ask for photo ID any time anybody files a document with us. And that way we keep it on file. And should something come up, we’ve got that to go back to to help with the investigation that may transpire,” Pinion said.
Pinion said these measures are new, but the office has been working to record and protect property information for more than a century.
“We’ll have a deed on file here for every owner that’s ever owned that property. And it’s like a paper trail. You see the transition from one owner to the next to the next. But our records go back to the eighteen hundreds,” Pinion said.
The county pays for the program, and it is free for residents to sign up.
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