SMITHFIELD - Johnston County Register of Deeds Craig Olive recently responded to a fraudulent deed filed in a nearby county. A homeowner found that his home had been subjected to a complete stranger filing a deed at the county's Register of Deeds office despite the stranger not owning the home.

The story made national headlines and Mr. Olive said he wants to ensure that Johnston County residents are aware of the fraud alert system in place in his office since 2013.

Unfortunately, deeds such as this are being filed in counties throughout the United States, Mr. Olive said.

"I would like for the NC General Assembly to enact tougher laws and penalties for those who records fraudulent documents and make the

process easier for the homeowner to retain ownership," Olive said.

Johnston County Register of Deeds has been proactive in the fight of this type of criminal activity for over a decade. In 2013, Olive implemented a Fraud Guard protective feature within its recording software that allow citizens to be proactive in this fight against identity theft.

This is a free service for the property owners of Johnston County. Once a property owner has registered for this service, they will be notified by an email alert if there is any real estate transaction with their name.

"With such fraud cases on the rise, I want to provide this free service to help our citizens stay informed and take the necessary steps to protect their properties," Olive stated. "My staff and I consider it an honor to serve in any way that we can and to provide this service to the citizens of our great county."

You can find out more information and register for this free protection at www.johnstonnc.com/fraudguard

Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact the Johnston County Register of Deeds office at 919-989-5160. The office is open Monday - Friday from 8:00am - 5:00pm.