Recent property fraud activity in the St. Louis area has prompted Montgomery 

County Clerk/Recorder Sandy Leitheiser to remind land owners of a free service 

her office provides notifying those who register via phone or email if a land 

document in Montgomery County is recorded in their name. 

According to Leitheiser, a St. Louis newspaper recently reported a St. Louis 

woman entered a plea agreement after using a quit claim deed and forging a 

deceased woman's signature to obtain ownership of a house. The document also 

contained a signature and seal of a notary who neither saw nor signed it. She was 

indicted on two counts of identity theft. 

“According to the FBI, property and mortgage fraud is the fastest growing white- 

collar crime,” Leitheiser stated, “and there are several costly “title lock” services 

available to warn landowners about potential fraud, but we offer a similar warning 

system for free!” She said her office voluntarily joins 46 other Illinois counties to 

offer a free Property Fraud Alert service to help customers should someone attempt 

to illegally use their property for financial gain by recording fraudulent real estate 

documents. Leitheiser reports a total of 448 Montgomery County property owners 

have joined 110,572 Illinois residents who have signed up for this service to date. 

She encourages land records customers to register for Property Fraud Alert which 

will notify them when a document is recorded in their name, and if it is fraudulent, 

allows the customer to contact the Recorder’s office and law enforcement 

  

authorities. Registration for this free service can be completed either at 

propertyfraudalert.com or in paper form at the Montgomery County Recorder’s 

Office, and participants’ information will not be sold or used for commercial 

purposes. 

Leitheiser stated while Property Fraud Alert does not prevent fraud from 

happening, it provides an early warning system for property owners to take 

appropriate actions should they determine possible fraudulent activity has taken 

place. To sign up, go to propertyfraudalert.com, select Montgomery County, 

Illinois and follow the prompts to complete the registration and submit the form 

electronically. Those wishing to complete the paper form may either download or 

print it from the Montgomery County website at www.montgomeryco.com and mail 

it to Montgomery County Recorder, PO Box 595, Hillsboro, IL 62049 or retrieve the 

form at the Recording Department of the County Clerk/Recorder’s office located on 

the first floor of the Historic Courthouse in Hillsboro. Those with questions 

regarding Property Fraud Alert may call 1-800-728-3858 or county Recording 

Department staff at 217-532-9535.