FBI offers tips to protect property owners from fraud

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Polk County family is looking for answers as they deal with a case of property fraud.

A house belonging to a Polk County family for generations is now at the center of expensive court battle over property fraud.

Eunice Grigsby believes the property in Fort Meade was quietly stolen when a quit claim deed was filed with fraudulent documents.

“Why should we let somebody take something that belongs to us?” Grigsby said. “Why do you have to fight for what’s rightfully yours?”

She also said her family was unaware that the house was listed and sold.

“The amount that they paid for it could never pay for the time and blood and sweat and tears and what my grandparents did to ensure we could have the property,” Grigsby said.

Grigsby said her family has paid more than $25,000 in legal fees over the course of five years and there still isn’t a guarantee they will get their house back.

The Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller is trying to curb property fraud by encouraging homeowners to sign up for the fraud alert system.

The renewed push to protect homeowners comes after a recent spike in cases across Hillsborough County.

“It can be taken with the stroke of a pen,” Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Cindy Stuart said. “They can file a quit claim deed. It’s very difficult to determine what is fraudulent and what is not.”

Stuart said scammers use fraudulent documents to meet the requirements needed to file for a deed.

“As long as they have a driver’s license, a notary signature, seal, and two signatures with addresses,” Stuart said. “There’s really no way for us to determine if something is fraudulent. The beauty for us is that there’s a property fraud alert system that is in place.”

The Fraud Alert System is helping homeowners catch fraudulent activity.

“Within 48 hours, if something is filed against your property you will get an alert and you can see everything that has been filed,” Stuart said.

According to the Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller website, the free service helps homeowners protect their property from fraud by monitoring the documents being recorded in the Official Records of the Clerk of Court.

Registrants will receive an email or phone call anytime a document is recorded in Hillsborough County with their name. For more information about the Fraud Alert System, click here.

According to the FBI, property and mortgage fraud is the fastest-growing white-collar crime in the United States.

The FBI has shared a list of tips online to help property owners protect themselves from fraud.

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