Property owners can sometimes be at risk to fraud and DeWitt County officials are promoting an extra layer of protection from becoming victims to leans against the property you did not authorize.

DeWitt County Clerk Dana Smith Monday Morning on the WHOW Morning Show promoted their Property Fraud Alert program. She explains there is a kiosk in her office at the County Courthouse where residents can sign up to be notified any time there is a lean against your property.

According to Smith, a lot of times a lean may come against an individuals name or property by someone they know, and sometimes it can be a case of that person not realizing what they are authorizing their family or friends to do.

Sheriff Mike Walker calls this system an extra layer of protection because if you do not know something has been filed against your name, it can make things very difficult down the road.

Seniors can be especially vulnerable to these types of issues because according to the Sheriff, they still operate under the assumption they can trust someone who tells them they will do something.

The kiosk to get registered is in the County Clerk's Office at the DeWitt County Courthouse, located at 201 West Washington Street in Clinton. You can also visit www.propertyfraudalert.com or call 800-728-3858.