Lee County Clerk & Comptroller Kevin Karnes is urging everyone who owns property in the county to sign up for the Clerk's Fraud Alert.
This comes after a recent arrest and separate conviction for property fraud. The CFA is a free service and doesn't take long to do.
You simply go online, whether that be on your phone, tablet or any other device, and go on this link , fill out your name, email and boom, your property is registered.
Karnes says people in our community don't realize how easy it is for criminals to steal your property.
"Criminals are impersonating rightful homeowners and filing fake documents with my office, and the law prevents me from rejecting documents even when I know they are fake, and so this is just one. The Free Property Fraud Alert service is one way to get notified of this problem, because typically people aren't finding out they're victims of this problem until they don't get their tax bill, which is in November," Karnes said.
Last month, Gregory Matthews , a Fort Myers man, was arrested for attempting to steal his aunt's home, former Fort Myers City Councilwoman, Christine Matthews, by filing a fake deed in the Lee Clerk’s Official Records Department.
According to Fort Myers police, he started his crime by making a fake ID, using a photo from Matthews' social media pages. This all led to his arrest.
The clerk's office says just a few weeks ago, a woman was convicted for a 2023 case where she tried to file several fake deeds to steal homes. The office rejected the documents and she was arrested.
"It's definitely happened, multiple times in my three years of being Lee County clerk and comptroller, and it's my top priority in this office to make sure that criminals stop doing this. People spend a lot of time, effort, money, have memories, in their homes and one stolen property is too much and so, I'm doing everything I can and working with local and state partners to get laws change in order for us to make sure that people's most valuable asset is protected against," Karnes said.
You can register personal and business names, trusts, and individual parcels to receive alert notifications.
DOWNLOAD
the free
Gulf Coast News app
for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more.