Scams & Alerts
The Wakulla County Clerk of Court is dedicated to protecting the citizens of Wakulla County. There are a number of scams that bad people deploy against our citizens and there is no way for us to list all of them as they are changing every day. Listed below are some of the ways that we are able to help you fight against these costly intrusions on our personal lives:
1. Identity Theft – Exemption & Redaction: The Clerk’s Office keeps confidential and sensitive information private. Florida has very strong public record laws and we honor this transparency by providing all available records to the public as requested and as allowed. At the same time, the Florida Statutes ensures privacy of certain confidential and sensitive information and the Clerk’s Office redacts that information from public records requests as required by law.2. Computer Fraud: There are many types of computer fraud. Visit these links to help you stay aware of common computer fraud techniques:
- Scams: The Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information page lists many types of scams: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts
- Virus Alerts: This website is very helpful to monitor computer viruses: https://www.virusbulletin.com/
- Spam and Phishing Information: This National Cyber Security Alliance webpage has helpful tips on avoiding becoming a victim: Resources + Guides – National Cybersecurity Alliance (staysafeonline.org)
- Report scams and suspicious communications to the Federal Trade Commission: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov
Recording Activity Notification Service
3. Property & Mortgage Fraud: The Wakulla County Clerk’s Office provides a fraud detection service to protect citizens by monitoring documents that have been presented to our office for recording such as liens, deeds and mortgages. This notification feature does not prevent fraud and only notifies you after the fact that a possible fraudulent document may have already been recorded. By using our Recording Activity Notification Service, anyone can register to receive free alerts when a document is recorded using their name or their business name. When users receive an alert by email, they can verify the activity was initiated by them and not someone attempting to commit fraud. Anyone who believes they are a victim of fraud is urged to contact law enforcement immediately.
Click on the link below and follow the instructions on the page to complete the sign up process.
4. Misleading Deed Solicitations: Unsolicited, misleading mailings are sent by private companies to property owners offering to supply copies of property deeds and/or an assessment profile from the Property Appraiser’s Office for a large fee. These mailings will often claim to be from or insinuate they are from the Clerk of Court office. I urge all residents to be cautious of private companies trying to sell public records that an be easily obtained online on our website or by coming to the courthouse. These companies often send official looking letters recommending the property owner obtain a copy of their current deed and property assessment profile to provide evidence that the property was in fact transferred to the new owner. These companies often charge $75.00 to $100.00 for a document that the owner can obtain for less than $20.00 at our office. While this practice is not considered fraud, it is misleading and intends to take advantage of unsuspecting citizens.
Sample Misleading Deed Solicitations
5. Court-related schemes: Scammers are now targeting citizens via text messages with several court-related scams such as:
- Claiming you missed jury duty and owe a fine
- Claiming you got a traffic ticket and owe a fine
- Claiming you owe tolls from driving on a toll road
- ALWAYS call our office to verify. Even if you did get a ticket, that ticket is a public record and someone may have accessed that public record and may be trying to get you to pay them and not us.
- NEVER send money via a gift card. And don't use a payment app on your phone without calling our office first to make sure it isn't a scam.
Follow the instructions on the page to complete the process.
It is important to note that you must confirm your subscription by clicking on the link emailed to you during the sign up process in order to complete the process.
If you believe a fraudulent document has been recorded, please contact our Recording Department. Please note that we cannot simply remove documents from the Official Record without a court order. Once you have confirmed a fraudulent document has been recorded you will need to contact law enforcement and notify them of the fraudulent activity. After contacting law enforcement, legal action may be required through the courts to correct or remove fraudulent documents from the Official Record.
To find an attorney - click here - The Florida Bar
To contact the State Attorney - click here - State Attorney, 2nd Judicial Circuit > Contact Us > Crawfordville-Wakulla County
DISCLAIMER: Recording Activity Notification Service
The Clerk of Court neither expresses nor implies warrant that the notification service is accurate or correct. The Clerk shall not be liable for any loss, cost, damage, or expense arising directly or indirectly in connection with this service. In no event shall the Clerk be liable for any special or consequential damages or for any indirect damages resulting from the Customer’s use or application of the information accessed as a result of using this service. This service does not protect against fraud or make any claims to; it simply provides notification to the Customer so that the Customer can take prompt legal action to remedy any possible fraud. The Clerk may terminate this service, or any individual subscription, at any time without notification.