{"id":76840,"date":"2016-12-05T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-05T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=a29385de22999a6f8d16443d695c7fa8"},"modified":"2016-12-05T08:30:00","modified_gmt":"2016-12-05T08:30:00","slug":"press-release-over-50000-sign-up-for-land-registrys-free-property-alert-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=76840","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Over 50,000 sign up for Land Registry\u2019s free Property Alert service"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The service helps people to detect fraudulent activity on their property by sending them email alerts when there is certain activity on the property being monitored, such as a mortgage being taken out against it. The recipient can then decide whether they think the activity is suspicious and act quickly if so. The alert email tells them who to contact should they be concerned.<\/p>\n

Alasdair Lewis, Director of Legal Services, said:<\/p>\n

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Property is usually our most valuable asset so it\u2019s important to protect it from the ever-increasing risk of fraud. Land Registry is doing all it can to detect and prevent fraud but no system can be 100 per cent fraud-proof, which is why we urge people to follow our advice about protecting themselves from property fraud, including signing up for Property Alert.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Property fraud<\/h3>\n

Property fraud is where fraudsters try to \u201csteal\u201d a property, most commonly by stealing the homeowner\u2019s identity and selling or mortgaging the property without their knowledge. They then disappear with the money leaving the true owner to deal with the consequences.<\/p>\n

Since 2009, Land Registry has stopped fraud on properties worth more than \u00a392 million.<\/p>\n

How Property Alert works<\/h3>\n

You can monitor up to 10 registered properties in England and Wales. You will receive email alerts when there is certain activity on the properties you are monitoring, such as an application to change the ownership details.<\/p>\n

Although Property Alert won\u2019t automatically stop fraud from happening, it\u2019s a useful early warning of suspicious activity which the home-owner can investigate if they are suspicious.<\/p>\n

Find out more about Property Alert and how to sign up for the free service.<\/a><\/p>\n

Example of how Property Alert helped to prevent a fraud<\/h3>\n
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A landlord was renting out a property in England while he lived overseas. He was aware that absent landlords are more at risk of property fraud and signed up to our free Property Alert service<\/a>. When he received an alert email informing him of a mortgage application being made against his property worth over \u00a3300,000, he contacted our property fraud line immediately as he wasn\u2019t expecting this. Using this intelligence, we investigated and discovered the fraud. We then prevented the application from being registered. His contact details were out of date, so we advised him to update them, which he did so that if we need to contact him in the future he will receive our emails or letters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Most at risk<\/h3>\n

You\u2019re more at risk if your property:<\/p>\n