LISBON — The Columbiana County Recorder’s Office is reminding residents about the free service available to protect themselves from possible property and mortgage fraud, warning them to be wary of third-party companies offering paid property monitoring or deed monitoring.

“These companies often charge monthly or annual fees to alert residents of potential deed fraud services that the Recorder’s Office already provides free of charge,” a press released issued Wednesday said.

County Recorder Jim Armeni said his office has been receiving an unusual amount of calls regarding property fraud protection, with some of the companies misleading the residents. He said it’s a statewide issue and the county’s being proactive.

In 2023, the county Recorder’s Office started offering the free, voluntary service known as PropertyCheck, an automated system which sends property owners emails or text alerts when official documents are recorded for their property, with the alerts based on name, property address, or parcel number.

An example of property fraud could be if someone attempts to steal a property by filing a quit claim deed on the parcel without the property owner knowing or by forging someone’s identity.

The press release said recorder officials recently learned that some residents have been contacted by private companies implying property owners must pay to protect themselves from fraudulent transfers or unauthorized charges to their deed.

“These solicitations can be misleading, and in some cases, they may cause unnecessary alarm,” the press release said.

The Recorder’s Office stressed that property owners should know they don’t need to pay anyone to monitor their deed.

“Columbiana County offers PropertyCheck, a completely free notification service that alerts residents any time a document is recorded under their name. This is the same type of monitoring that outside companies charge for, only ours is official, local and free,” the press release said.

Residents can sign up for PropertyCheck through the county recorder’s website at www.columbianacountyrecorder.org or by contacting the office directly for assistance at 330-424-9517 or visiting the office on the first floor of the downtown courthouse in Lisbon..

The idea of PropertyCheck is to help protect residents from potential deed fraud or unauthorized filings. Participants enrolled in PropertyCheck receive an alert whenever a document is recorded that matches the name they choose to monitor. The press release explained that most advertised paid services don’t offer instant property alerts.

Armeni said he recently refused to record a document because it used language his office wasn’t used to. The property owner was contacted and wasn’t aware of the document.

Armeni said it’s best to use an attorney or a title company to transfer a property.

He wants property owners to use PropertyCheck to keep themselves protected and informed — for free.