Oakland County, MI, January 19, 2006 -- Ruth Johnson, Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds, says security cameras are being installed in that office in an effort to help prevent deed and mortgage fraud.

"In Oakland County, we've been fortunate, we haven't had the deed fraud experienced by other counties and states, but we want to deter people from filing fraudulent documents," Johnson says.

"We've had a number of alleged incidents being investigated in Oakland County," she says. "The amount of potential fraud is already over $500,000."

The incidents are under investigation by authorities, Johnson says.

Mortgage fraud involves the use of false identities and forged documents to obtain bank mortgages. In deed scams, criminals claim ownership and sell property that does not belong to them - sometimes forcing legitimate homeowners to spend thousands in legal fees to reclaim their own property.

"We want to deal with this before it becomes a big problem," Johnson says. Cameras will help in deterring, detecting and prosecuting these white-collar felons. This crime is particularly hard on homeowners. These criminals are literally trying to steal the homes out from underneath unsuspecting citizens."

The costs of the cameras is incremental, because the cameras are simply being added to the existing Oakland County Courthouse security system, says Jim VanLeuven, Deputy County Clerk/Register of Deeds.

According to the FBI, Michigan is considered one of the top 10 "hotspots" for mortgage fraud, along with states like California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, South Carolina, Illinois, Maryland, Georgia and Florida.

Last year, federal prosecutors charged 20 people in Detroit with defrauding banks of $10 million. Mortgage fraud has reportedly tripled in the state of Michigan since 2003, with nearly $30 million in mortgage fraud in 2004. (Detroit News 10/2005)

The Chicago Tribune recently called mortgage fraud "the new street hustle" and a new Federal Trade Commission report estimates mortgage fraud has cost businesses $48 billion and consumers $5 billion over the last five years in the United States. (Kansas City Star/January 2006)

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard says the cameras will play an important role in security.

"In an era where the security of our citizens and our financial transactions has become paramount, it's important we take proactive steps like this," Bouchard says.

For information, contact Ruth Johnson, Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds, at (248) 858-0560.