Waller County Clerk Debbie Hollan announced on January 8 that her office is now offering fraud alert notifications through their website at no cost to the citizens of Waller County.

“According to the FBI, property and mortgage fraud is the fastest growing crime in America, costing property owners over $145 million in 2023 alone. The alert system allows a property owner to determine if possible fraudulent activity has taken place and to take immediate action.” said Hollan.

Piloted by Tyler Technologies Records Management, Fraud Notify is a way to help property owners prevent becoming the victim of property fraud. Fraud Notify is a free alert system that will send a notification any time a document with the property owner’s name is recorded in the Official Public Records of Waller County. It is as simple as registering a name or business name, in the system, Hollan said in the news release. Then, when a document is recorded with that information, a notification is sent via email. This gives the property owner an early warning of property fraud being committed, and an opportunity to take action to prevent further fraud.

Typically, the most vulnerable for this type of crime are those with high equity and no mortgage, and those who own properties which they do not personally occupy, such as rental homes, vacation homes or investment properties.

While Fraud Notify will not prevent fraud from happening, it provides an early warning system that will allow property owners to take appropriate action should they believe fraudulent activity has occurred with their property. To receive alerts from Waller County, property owners may sign up at https://wallercountytx-web.tylerhost.net/web/.