Bucks County Recorder of Deeds, Robin Robinson, with Director of Consumer Protection, Michael Bannon, are encouraging residents to sign up for the FREE Bucks County Fraud Alert program put into place by Robinson’s office two years ago.

This program monitors all records in the Recorder of Deeds office and alerts the constituent of any new document recorded in the office for their name. The constituent will be alerted to any document recorded in our office, whether legitimate or fraudulent.

Recently, you may have seen advertisements for other home title protection services. Please be aware that none of these services are recommended by the Consumer Protection office or the Recorder of Deeds office in the County.

A service called Home Title Lock is a subscription-based title-monitoring service that claims to guard against title fraud. Title fraud occurs when someone forges your name on a deed and files it in the county recorder’s office, usually for the purpose using your property as collateral to borrow money. Unfortunately, this type of illegal activity cannot be stopped before it happens. It may only be detected after it has occurred.

The Recorder of Deeds is required to accept a deed which is signed and notarized and appears to be proper on its face. A title monitoring service just reviews the Recorder’s records, after a deed has been recorded, not before.

Director of Consumer Protection, Michael Bannon, says, “As a Consumer Advocate, I am troubled
that this product is an expense that does not need to be incurred. Mortgage Title fraud is frightening, which
these businesses use to their advantage. I am greatly concerned for residents that have or will feel
pressured to purchase this, even though it is totally unnecessary to do so in Bucks County.

The Bucks County Recorder of Deeds Department has recently made available to the public and free of charge, a Deed Fraud Alert program. This program promises to allow residents to protect their identity while giving them some peace of mind.”

Bucks County Recorder of Deeds and Consumer Protection Offices Want to Alert the Public about Home Title Protection. Your best, most efficient, and cost-effective protection from fraud is to register for the FREE Bucks
County Fraud Alert program, which will alert you to the recording of a potentially fraudulent deed when it
happens, not sometime after the fact by an expensive and unnecessary service.

To sign up for the FREE Bucks County Fraud Alert program, please visit the link below:
https://www.landex.com/recordalert/bucks

To contact the Bucks County Recorder of Deeds office, please call 215-348-6209 or visit their website
at http://www.buckscounty.org/government/RowOfficers/RecorderofDeeds

To contact the Bucks County Consumer Protection office, please call 215-348-6060 or visit their
website at https://buckscounty.org/government/LegalServices/ConsumerProtection