The email's sender line reads "Miami-Dade Clerk of Court and Comptroller Fraud Alert." That is the free Miami-Dade property fraud alert, sent when a document is recorded on a folio number you registered1. The Clerk is also the county recorder, the office that adds deeds to the public record4.
It does not mean your home is gone. A deed is the paper that transfers a home, and title is your legal ownership. Deed theft is real but rare for any one owner (how often it happens).
What should you do in the first 24 hours after a Miami-Dade property fraud alert?
Read the document first. If you never signed it, report it the same day.
- Hour 0Read the email slowly. Note the CFN (Clerk's File Number, the document's ID in Official Records) and the folio it matched.
- Hour 1Open the document. Search the CFN in the Clerk's Official Records. If it is your own loan or deed, you are done.
- Day 1If you never signed it, act today. Report it to police, order a certified copy and call a lawyer1,6.
- Week 1Clear it in court. Your lawyer can file a quiet title case, then record a lis pendens, a public notice that the lawsuit is pending. Keep paying your taxes: a fake deed can send the bills elsewhere, and unpaid taxes can end in a tax deed sale, an auction of the home1.
A quiet title case asks a judge to confirm who owns the property (how quiet title works). Florida puts fake-transfer cases on a fast track. If the court finds one, it must restore the title you had before15.
The Clerk's forged-deed forms list filing fees of $400 to $1,905, based on your claim's value8. The top fee starts at $250,000. The median owner-occupied home here is worth $463,00027.
What does the Clerk's alert email tell you?
It tells you what matched, when the document was recorded and the number to look it up13. In Miami-Dade, that number is the CFN1.
Subject: A document was recorded on an entry you watch
A land record that matches one of your entries was recorded.
- What matched
- Your folio number
- Recorded on
- The recording date
- Document number
- Book and page, or instrument number (in Miami-Dade, the CFN)
- How to view it
- Steps to search Official Records with that number
- Questions
- A phone number for the Clerk's office
A real alert shows the real numbers on each line.
Florida's alert law covers any "deed, mortgage, or other document" that transfers a property or puts a claim on it, so your own refinance counts too13. The Clerk leaves the checking to you, and the record wins if the two differ2.
How do you run a Miami-Dade deed search by CFN or folio?
Search the Clerk's Official Records for the document, and the Property Appraiser (the county assessor) for the owner on file.
In Official Records, pick Clerk's File Number and enter the year and sequence number5. If the CFN does not show up, the online records may be days behind, so try again tomorrow4,5.
Your folio is the 13-digit number that identifies your parcel, or piece of property. Its first two digits are a city code, and 30 means unincorporated Miami-Dade9.
| Where to look | What you see | How current it is |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk's Official Records | The recorded document itself, found by its CFN | Can trail by days. On October 25, 2026 it held records through October 20. E-filed papers can take 1 to 3 business days to appear. |
| Property Appraiser search | The owner and mailing address on file, and past sales | A new owner usually shows up in 4 to 8 weeks, sometimes 12 |
| Your mailbox | A Clerk letter when a quitclaim deed (a deed that hands over whatever share the signer has) is recorded on your home, and the August Notice of Proposed Taxes | Mailed. The tax notice comes once a year. |
Sources: the Clerk's and Property Appraiser's websites4,5,6,10, checked October 25, 2026.
After a fake deed, the Appraiser's site can show your name for weeks, and it "does not verify ownership"10. Trust the recorded document.
A folio on a deed is "not required but is encouraged"4. The Clerk does not say how it matches a deed without one, so search Official Records by your name now and then.
Is it a fake deed or routine paperwork?
Routine papers carry your real signature on a deal you know about. The Clerk's warning signs include1:
- A "Fraud Courtesy Notice" letter from the Clerk
- A deed or loan you never signed
- A signer who had died before the signing date
- Tax bills that stop arriving
- A default notice on a home you own outright
- Calls or texts that send you to a site other than miamidadeclerk.gov
How do you sign up for the free alert, and what does it miss?
Register your email on the Clerk's sign-up page, then add each folio you want watched1.
- Open the Clerk's sign-up page. Type your email twice and press Submit2.
- Verify your email. Finish the steps in the Clerk's message. Check spam if it does not arrive2.
- Add your folio and a language. Use all 13 digits, with no dashes. Alerts come in English, Spanish or Creole3. Find your folio on the Property Appraiser's search.
That matters in a county where 75.3% of residents age 5 and up speak a language other than English at home27. The law opens the service to "all persons," so you can watch a parent's folio from your own inbox13.
What the alert does not do:
- Stop a fake deed from being recorded1.
- Cover documents recorded before you signed up2.
- Watch other Florida counties, which run their own alerts (compare counties)17.
- Replace a title search2.
Why is the alert free in every Florida county?
A 2023 state law, section 28.47, told every county clerk to offer a free alert by July 1, 202413. Sign-up details stay confidential13.
Miami-Dade's Clerk, Juan Fernandez-Barquin, co-sponsored that bill, HB 1419, as a state lawmaker before becoming Clerk in June 20231,14.
Recording a deed here still runs on signatures, two witnesses and a notary, an official who confirms who is signing4. On Lee County's test of ID checks for people filing deeds, the Clerk said in January 2026: "I think that's a great idea, but we don't have the technology. It's not there yet"18.
What happened in recent Miami-Dade deed fraud cases?
Recent local cases began with someone the owner trusted: a caregiver, a man posing as family and a former son-in-law.
One accused forger links Miami-Dade and Tampa. Miami-Dade court papers describe "fraudulent and forged deeds" allegedly made between Victor Rodriguez and his late former father-in-law, FOX 13 reported in 202421. In March 2025 he pleaded guilty to stealing homes from three Hillsborough County owners and got 15 years22.
Hillsborough's Clerk said he "also faces similar charges in Miami-Dade County," where he is accused, not convicted23.
Who should you call about deed fraud in Miami-Dade?
Call the police first, then a lawyer. If your folio starts with 30, the Sheriff's Office takes the report. In a city, call that city's police9,12.
| Who | When to call | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, Economic and Specialized Investigation Section | To report a fake deed (the Clerk's referral) | 305-994-1000 or 305-476-5423 |
| Clerk's Recorder's Office | Questions about the alert or a CFN | (786) 463-0566, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, 20 NW 1st Avenue | General questions, copies and records | 305-275-1155 |
| Property Appraiser deed line | The owner and mailing address on your folio | (305) 375-4064 |
| State Attorney's Economic Crimes Unit | Prosecutes fraud schemes, including mortgage fraud | (305) 324-2610 |
| Miami-Dade Bar Lawyer Referral Service | To find a lawyer. A $50 fee covers a first consultation. | 1-888-305-5291 |
| Legal Services of Greater Miami | Free civil legal help if your income is low | (305) 576-0080 |
Sources: each office's website1,2,6,12,24,25,26. Phone numbers checked October 25, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is a property fraud alert legitimate?
Yes. Miami-Dade's alert is a free service of the Clerk, and you sign up on the Clerk's own website1. Real alerts come from "Miami-Dade Clerk of Court and Comptroller Fraud Alert."
Is property fraud alert a free service?
Yes. Florida law requires every county clerk to offer a free alert, and Miami-Dade charges nothing13.
How can I get a property fraud alert in Florida?
Sign up with the clerk in each county where you own property. The state clerks' association lists all 67 counties' sign-up pages17.
What do I need to get a copy of my deed to my house?
Search the Clerk's Official Records by your name or the CFN. Certified copies cost $1 a page plus $2 to certify4,7. Deeds recorded before 1974 are only available in person or by mail7 (how to find your deed).
What is my folio number?
Register your folio before you need it
The Clerk's alert is free and covers only documents recorded after you sign up.
Open the Clerk's sign-up pageSee how Still My Home worksSign-up links, phone numbers, fees and case details on this page were checked on October 25, 2026.
Sources
- Property Fraud, Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, checked October 25, 2026
- Property Fraud Alert: Verify Email (sign-up page), Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, checked October 25, 2026
- Property Fraud Alert settings page, Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, checked October 25, 2026
- Official Records (fees, deed requirements and e-recording), Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, checked October 25, 2026
- County Recorder's Official Records Online System, Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, checked October 25, 2026
- Deed Fraud, Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, checked October 25, 2026
- Official Records certified copies, Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, checked October 25, 2026
- Instructions for Completing Complaint to Quiet Title (Forged Deed), Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, checked October 25, 2026
- Folio Numbers, Miami-Dade Property Appraiser, checked October 25, 2026
- Changing Your Property Information, Miami-Dade Property Appraiser, checked October 25, 2026
- Property Search (record for 111 NW 1st Street), Miami-Dade Property Appraiser, checked October 25, 2026
- Mortgage Fraud, Miami-Dade County, checked October 25, 2026
- Section 28.47, Florida Statutes: Recording notification service, The Florida Senate, 2026 statutes
- CS/CS/HB 1419 (2023): Real Property Fraud, The Florida Senate, approved by the Governor June 14, 2023
- Section 65.091, Florida Statutes: Quieting title; fraudulent conveyances, The Florida Senate, 2026 statutes
- Section 817.535, Florida Statutes: Unlawful filing of false documents or records against real or personal property, The Florida Senate, 2026 statutes
- Available Statewide Property Alert Services, Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers, checked October 25, 2026
- Podcast: The Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Court's Vision for Real Estate Business, Holland and Knight, January 26, 2026
- Home Health Care Worker Charged in Alleged Property Theft, Office of the Miami-Dade State Attorney, April 9, 2024
- Man Charged with Elderly Exploitation After Serious Health Episode Renders Woman Vulnerable, Office of the Miami-Dade State Attorney, February 24, 2026
- Property fraud investigation extends from Bay Area to South Florida: Court documents, FOX 13 Tampa Bay, June 27, 2024
- Victor Rodriguez Pleads Guilty to 15 Years in Prison for Defrauding Homeowners, Office of the State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit (Hillsborough County), March 10, 2025
- Property Fraud Guilty Plea, Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller, March 20, 2025
- Economic Crimes Unit, Office of the Miami-Dade State Attorney, checked October 25, 2026
- Lawyer Referral Service, Miami-Dade Bar Association, checked October 25, 2026
- Legal Services of Greater Miami, checked October 25, 2026
- QuickFacts: Miami-Dade County, Florida, U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024, checked October 25, 2026
