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Palm Beach County clerk warns Boca Raton residents about rising scams and offers property‑alert tool
Summary
Palm Beach County Clerk Mike Caruso briefed the council on traffic‑ticket, jury‑duty and property deed fraud and urged residents to register properties at mypalmbeachclerk.com/pfa to receive immediate alerts of recorded documents.
Mike Caruso, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller for Palm Beach County, told the Boca Raton City Council on Jan. 6 that scams targeting county residents have become more sophisticated and are on the rise. He described three common scams: phone callers posing as clerk staff about traffic tickets, callers falsely claiming missed jury duty that threaten arrest, and property deed fraud in which fraudsters record false deeds to steal homes.
Caruso cited national and local trends: he referenced Federal Trade Commission figures on reported losses and said Florida ranks high for reported scams. He urged residents to use the clerk’s free property‑registration service (mypalmbeachclerk.com/pfa) that will notify owners and designated agents when a filing occurs on a parcel, noting early action makes reversal far easier.
Caruso said the clerk's office will not call to collect traffic fines and encouraged caution when callers pressure residents for payment or personal information. Mayor Singer and council members thanked Caruso for the presentation and asked him to repeat the registration web address for viewers and attendees.
The presentation was informational; no city action was taken.
