The Role U.S. Counties May Be Playing in International Deed Fraud

Police in Denton County, Texas reported the theft of the Frisco couple's home as a new twist on identity theft where criminals used a copy of a signature and driver's license number to file a fraudulent deed. The bogus deed can be found on the Denton County web site, along with the victim's legitimate signature and driver's license number.

This isn't new to national and international investigators looking into what the F.B.I. calls the fastest growing white collar crime in the country.They are making a connection to this type of theft and online counties.

Arizona’s Maricopa County was the first government entity in the nation to post INSTANT SEARCHES online. Maricopa now claims the highest rate of identity theft in the country. IT officials say the two statistics are inextricably linked."

The link has been clear to criminals and law enforcement for nearly twenty years. . . . See for yourself

From Fort Bend County, Texas to Oneida County, New York, citizens reaction to local government publishing their records online is consistently unfavorable. In letters to local newspapers and letters to legislators, concerned citizens are calling for the removal of their sensitive information or removal of the offending official. In an increasing number of cases, outraged citizens are resorting to lawsuits.. . . . Read more

 Robert Clifford, speaking on behalf of the county's district attorney's office said " It's not only disheartening, it's crazy."

According to Mason's complaints, there is no state law to support a $1-per-page fee for printouts of digital records, but he was forced to pay this in Clark County. These printouts currently comprise more than $80,000 in annual copying revenue. According to Indiana law, however, the fee can only be applied to documents produced by a "photographic process."

• Maricopa County which includes Phoenix Arizona was the first county to publish records over the Internet. Today Phoenix leads the nation for identity theft victims.
• Tarrant County (Ft. Worth, TX) began publishing online in 2003. Two years later Dallas-Ft Worth ranked fourth in the nation for identity theft
• Fort Bend County, TX. publishes over 20 million county documents online. Area residents suffer the second highest number of identity theft incidents in the state.

County Clerk Victim Of ID Theft After $25,000 disappears from bank account, Lawmakers call for changes in County's practice of making very personal information available on Website

Taxpayer 'S blast online posting of county records Outraged citizens call for clerk's removal

Suit may have led to ID purge thieves confess they used county site - victim sues county

Rampant Deed Fraud Investigators acknowledge criminals accessed county records online to steal identities and homes. Fraud spreading across America as more counties go online. . . .

Former County Recorder Found Guilty of Extortion
Used his role to obtain a pre-publication list of tax- sale properties, purged property lien . . .

Computer Error Inflates Home Price to $400 Million
created major problems for Indiana's Porter County when the error was unmasked.

Legislator Calls for County Clerks to Remove Records From Internet Sen. Charles J. Fuschillo Jr., who heads the Senate Consumer Protection Committee and has authored legislation to protect consumers from identity theft, called on county clerks to remove the information from the Internet.

FBI Investigates Democrats  Federal prosecutors are investigating whether two Democratic Party researchers used online INSTANT SEARCHES to illegally obtain the credit report of Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele

Michigan County Fights Back Against Mortgage Fraud
Although most victims of mortgage fraud never meet the person committing the crime against them, Casha Valentine, who works at the Wayne County Register of Deeds, recently did. She was standing at the counter in her office when an individual approached her and handed her a deed containing her forged signature . . . Read More