The La Salle County Recorder’s Office introduced a new fraud prevention tool designed to protect notaries and the community from the growing threat of notary-related document fraud.

According to a news release, the Notary Fraud Alert (NFA) program is a free service that allows notaries to monitor activity under their name and quickly detect signs of misuse.

Notary fraud can occur when someone forges a signature, misuses a notary seal, or records a document without the required presence or authorization. These actions can lead to property theft, financial loss and legal complications.

“As your recorder, my top priority is preserving the integrity of our public records,” Karen L. Miller, La Salle County Recorder, said. “This new alert system empowers notaries with information so they can catch fraudulent activity early and in doing so, help safeguard the entire community from property fraud and related scams.”

Once enrolled, notaries can choose to receive daily, weekly, or monthly alerts whenever a document that includes their name as the notary is recorded in La Salle County.

Each alert includes the document number, type and parties involved, making it easy to identify suspicious filings.

If you suspect you are a victim of notary fraud, consider reaching out to law enforcement or legal counsel for further action.

To sign up for Notary Fraud Alert, visit the La Salle County website.

For more information, call La Salle County Recorder Karen Miller at (815) 434-8227 or email her at recorder@lasallecountyil.gov.