Become More Aware of the Amazingness Around Princeton

Letter to the Editor

A Comprehensive Approach to Combat Property Fraud and Deceptive Schemes in New Jersey

From home title schemes, government impersonators, and property fraud claims — crimes of deception are growing in volume and sophistication. At the Mercer County Clerk’s Office, we’ve seen firsthand the emotional and financial toll these schemes can take on our residents. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to educate the public on how to identify and report suspicious activity.

Even my Office hasn’t been immune. A few years ago, cybercriminals used a spoofed County email address to send fraudulent invoices to local residents. Thankfully, we caught the issue early and alerted the authorities before serious damage occurred. But it served as a wake-up call — anyone can become a target.

In 2023, nearly 25 percent of Americans reported being victims of fraud, losing a staggering $155 billion collectively — with the average loss totaling $14,000 per incident. More concerning still, 90 percent of Americans were targeted by digital fraud in some form. The sheer scale of this activity shows we are facing a crisis that demands urgent national attention.

Today’s fraudsters use increasingly sophisticated tactics. They exploit cryptocurrency, drain retirement accounts, and even build fake online relationships to steal. These are not isolated acts — many originate from organized criminal enterprises operating overseas and are difficult to investigate without international cooperation.

While Congress began acknowledging this growing threat last session, the response has not matched the complexity of the issue. A few proposals emerged, such as regulating peer-to-peer payment platforms, but these fell far short of addressing the broader challenge. A truly effective response must go beyond payments and tackle the source of the activity — including the bad actors and networks that perpetrate these schemes.

This year, I urge Congress to pursue a more robust and coordinated national strategy.

First, Congress should prioritize working with global allies to shut down overseas criminal networks. Many of these fraudulent operations originate from Asia and other continents, and generate tens of billions of dollars annually. They often involve trafficked labor and are driven solely by the goal of deceiving and defrauding Americans. Stronger international cooperation — and consequences for countries unwilling to act — are critical.

Second, we must ensure that local and federal law enforcement have the resources they need to pursue these cases. Right now, those committing these crimes often have more tools than the agencies trying to stop them. That imbalance must change if we are serious about deterrence and justice.

Third, Congress should create a centralized, cross-agency task force to coordinate the federal response. Today, multiple agencies handle aspects of fraud prevention, but there’s little centralized oversight. A unified national entity would strengthen response time, improve data sharing, and enhance prevention strategies. Instead of gutting some of the Federal agencies and firing the employees that provide such oversight, Congress needs to act to strengthen our national security.

Here in Mercer County, we are not standing still. I belong to a Mercer County/Trenton area task force made up of the Trenton mayor, local police, our Mercer County Administration, through its County Counsel and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office to focus on combatting property fraud and deceptive filings. Our goal is to meet and identify patterns, protect homeowners, and ensure that criminals face accountability. But local action must be matched by federal leadership.

Most Americans now face a steady stream of fraudulent calls, emails, and online threats. This is a reality that won’t go away on its own.

I hope Congress — with strong leadership from Senators Booker and Kim and the rest of New Jersey’s delegation — takes decisive action in the months ahead. Let’s give Americans the protections they deserve against the individuals and networks who seek to deceive and exploit them.

Paula Sollami Covello, Esq.
Mercer County Clerk