LEE COUNTY, Fla. — On Wednesday, Lee County Clerk of Court Kevin Karnes told Fox 4 that his office was the first to roll out a new pilot program to defend against property fraud.
“Property fraud is something I have learned is shockingly easy for criminals to exploit in our community,” said Karnes.
Karnes said over the past few months, Lee County has seen more than 15 property fraud cases. In the past, law enforcement had struggled to convict the scammers.
“People report it to law enforcement and law enforcement didn't have the information or tools that they needed to prosecute criminals,” said Karnes.
It's a multi-level problem. Karnes told Fox 4 the previous law did not allow his office to reject fraudulent deeds. The new two-year pilot program, which will roll out on July 1, 2023, is something Karnes said he hopes would give his office the tools to help eliminate this rising crime.
“Which allows us to obtain government-issued ID's accompanied with a deed. It is a change in process but the goal is to make sure that we know who is filing the deeds, so if it's deemed fraudulent, law enforcement can do their job,” said Karnes.
In Cape Coral, Angela Petrick, owner of The Title Boutique, told Fox 4 she had seen mostly vacant properties fall victim to this crime.
“The fraudsters had gotten a fake ID, a real seller's social security number somehow,” said Petrick.
Petrick said she knew something was wrong, and started to investigate.
“I was able to pull the prior deeds and signatures weren't matching the executed contract,” said Petrick.
But after she turned the information over to the police, an arrest was never made.
"They couldn't even track the guy,” said Petrick.
Karnes said requiring IDs should not only help police track down criminals, but also expedite the process for victims to recover their property through the court system.
“That was intentional to make sure that law enforcement had a starting point of who was filing those deeds so they can go ask more intense questions on how victims were being exploited,” said Karnes.
Karnes said the Lee County Clerk also offers a free servicethat notifies you within 24 hours when a deed or other land record is recorded with the Clerk’s office using your name or your business’s name.
If someone received an alert about activity not initiated by that person, this early notification can provide valuable time for Sheriff investigations to stop criminals in their tracks.
Click here to sign up for that free program.
