Free fraud alert service offered through county

NEWPORT — Individuals concerned about deeds being switched or property being stolen can sign up for a free fraud alert system available through the Cocke County Register of Deeds office.

Register of Deeds Mark McGaha explained that many citizens had contacted his office after seeing advertisements for insurance that claims to "lock" property deeds.

"That is not possible," McGaha said. "You cannot lock a property deed."

The computer company for the register of deeds office at the courthouse, Business Information Systems, offers a free fraud alert system, which is available for citizens to sign up to use at no cost.

"What happens is that when something is recorded in the office regarding your property, you will receive an email notification that tells you something was filed. You can then call the office and ask what was filed, so you can stay updated," McGaha said.

Since the program was made available, he knows of one instance where an individual was notified that a deed had been recorded.

"They had paid off their mortgage and the bank filed a release deed," he said. "They had not been notified that it was being filed, so when they received the email they called us and we looked it up and told them what had happened."

McGaha said he is not aware of any fraud occurring regarding property deeds in the county.

"We have not been notified of any fraudulent activity, and I am not aware of any situations involving fraud," McGaha said.

To sign up for the free fraud alert service, go online to cockecountytn.gov and visit the Register of Deeds page. If anyone has any difficulty signing up, they can call the Register of Deeds office at (423) 623-7540 or stop by the office in the courthouse. To sign up, you will need to provide your first and last name and your email address.

The advertisements for fraud insurance that claim to lock a title or deed are very similar to the free service offered by the Register of Deeds office. However, the "insurance" service providers charge $20 or more per month, while the service through the courthouse is completely free.

Title fraud happens when a scammer forges a signature on a deed then files it at the courthouse. They usually take out a loan on the property or sell it to someone else.

McGaha said the number of documents filed at the courthouse can vary greatly. He said that with the interest rate going up, the number of property transactions has started to slow. He said that when there is a good economy, there are more property transfers and more people are getting mortgages, so they have more documents to file.

He explained during difficult economic times, more judgment liens and foreclosure documents are filed.

The office files more than just property deeds, McGaha pointed out. It files military discharge papers free of charge, and he pointed out they are not public record.