HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Clerk of Court is issuing a warning about a growing trend of property fraud in our area. But they're also pointing to a free fraud alert system as a partial solution.
The office, along with the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, held a press conference Monday to talk about the issue.
That fraud includes issues like squatting, which is what led Hillsborough deputies to a local home in November of 2022.
Body camera footage from HCSO shows that they found 43-year-old James Falhman inside and asked him to leave the property.
"So, you've just been squatting in here?" asked a deputy.
"No," said Fahlman.
"So what are you doing in here?" asked the deputy.
"I rented the house," said Fahlman.
Despite the warning, when deputies returned two weeks later, Fahlman was still in the home.
"Why are you still here?" asked a deputy.
"Well, I haven't gotten my stuff out yet," said Fahlman.
That time he was with another man, 52-year-old Clinton Lee. Both were arrested.
They're accused of filing a fake deed agreement in the name of an elderly person who owns the house in order to get access to it.
HCSO said another complaint led them to 64-year-old Wanda Vann and several accomplices. According to court records, the group conspired to trick an elderly person out of money and property by filing forged documents.
Both incidents are part of the growing trend of property fraud in our area.
The Clerk of Court, State Attorney and Sheriff's offices encourage people looking to protect themselves to sign up for the county's free Property Fraud Alert System. It will notify you within two days if a document is processed in the county using your name or your business's name.
They say it only takes a few minutes to sign up.
"These five minutes may save you thousands of dollars, precious time and countless headaches. These five minutes could save your home," said county clerk and comptroller Cindy Stuart.
To learn more about signing up for the system, click here.
