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Miami-Dade clerk urges Miami Lakes residents to register for free property-fraud alerts
Summary
At a Miami Lakes informational session, Miami-Dade County Clerk Juan Fernandez Barquin outlined how fraudsters file forged deeds, described the county's free Property Fraud Alert on miamidadeclerk.gov, and warned residents about fraudulent text messages; he advised registering folio numbers (up to 50) and consulting the clerk's templates if victimized.
Miami-Dade County Clerk Juan Fernandez Barquin told residents at a Miami Lakes informational session that a growing scheme involves fraudsters filing forged deeds to transfer ownership and extract equity from properties without the rightful owner’s signature.
Barquin said the clerk’s office offers a free Property Fraud Alert service on miamidadeclerk.gov that will notify registered users when a deed is filed against a listed property. "If you register a folio number with us, we will notify you when there's a deed filed on that property," he said, explaining the registration requires email verification and the property folio number. He said users may register up to 50 folios, allowing people to monitor multiple family properties.
The nut graf: the alert service is intended as an early-warning tool to let owners and caretakers spot unauthorized filings quickly and to provide checklists and templates the clerk's office recommends if someone becomes a victim. Barquin said the clerk's website includes suggested court filings and step-by-step guidance, and he recommended hiring legal counsel for formal remedies.
Barquin described how alerts arrive and how to view filings: after registration the subscriber receives a confirmation email with links that let them view the document image on the clerk’s website. He emphasized the folio number is the most reliable identifier for a property in Miami-Dade County.
He also warned residents about scam text messages that mimic official notices. "These are not being sent from my office," Barquin said, referring to recent texts — some containing QR codes — that ask for personal or financial information. He urged people to verify tickets or fines by visiting miamidadeclerk.gov or the state motor-vehicle website rather than clicking links in a text.
The session, introduced by the mayor of Miami Lakes, focused on practical steps residents can take to reduce risk: register folio numbers on the Property Fraud Alert page, keep email addresses consistent during verification, and, if fraud occurs, consult the clerk’s templates and consider retaining an attorney. The mayor closed the meeting by thanking Barquin for the presentation and adjourning the session.
Barquin noted that while most Florida counties run similar alert services through the clerk’s office, Broward County operates a comparable program out of its property appraiser’s office because that county started the program earlier and has a different local-government structure.
