Note: This video is from May 21.

MISSOURI – Following recent cases of homes nearly being fraudulently stolen, several counties in the St. Louis area are warning the public and encouraging them to follow steps to prevent becoming victims.

Thursday morning, officials from St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln and Franklin counties met to emphasize the scam, which uses fraudulent deeds to claim or sell the home, and even borrow money.

The message comes at a time when these incidents recently occurred in Florissant and Dellwood. The scammer will use fake paperwork and forgery to deceive a homeowner, and police say it’s a scam that has grown over recent years. Two people have been charged in connection with the Dellwood incident.

“I’m aware of one case in St. Charles County where a family member tried to fraudulently transfer a property in the owner’s name,” St. Charles County Recorder of Deeds Mary Dempsey said in a release. 

In an effort to prevent more victims from this homeowner scam, leaders are urging residents to sign up for a free property fraud alert system.

When the homeowners name appears in any submitted documents at a Recorder of Deeds office, the homeowner will be notified. Those who are alerted will be asked to reach out to the Recorder of Deeds before any further action. It should be noted that every notification and alert may not be fraudulent activity, according to officials.

To sign up for the alert system, click on the links below:

When purchasing a home, there can be some signs of a potential scam to look out for, officials noted, which includes:

  • Not owner-occupied and no outstanding mortgage or liens
  • For sale below market value
  • Seller doesn’t negotiate fees for a quick sale
  • Seller wants cash or wire payment
  • Seller refuses to be present for in-person signing, difficult to reach
  • Seller insists on using their own notary

Over 5,000 alerts have been sent to St. Charles County resident since January. The county is also in the works of putting together a similar system for notaries, which will alert residents of any forgery.