Author Archives: SafeChain

SafeChain Partners with RamQuest to Provide Fraud-Free Closings

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention technology and blockchain applications for land title, announced today its SafeWire application has been fully integrated into RamQuest's Closing Market application - making SafeWire available as a seamless experience to title offices nationwide.

"Improving functionality for RamQuest clients will be essential as we look toward eliminating wire fraud," said Rob Zwink, CTO at SafeChain. "We know human error accounts for the majority of wire fraud detection failure. Consequently, ensuring that agencies' escrow and closing teams can access SafeWire within RamQuest's Closing Market provides the ideal connection. It enables agencies to reduce their exposure without making major changes in their processes."

SafeWire protects real estate wire transactions with multi-source verification. By digitally identifying all transaction participants it assures agencies that the information cannot be tampered with or intercepted by unauthorized parties. This allows bank account authentication, two way sharing of secure documents, collection of wet signatures, and continuous secure communication from pre to post-closing. SafeWire works with buyer and seller banks to ensure all authorized parties receive funds.

"We're committed to developing integrations that empower our customers to grow their business," RamQuest CSO Ben Cork said. "The SafeWire integration is just one example of this and gives RamQuest customers an easy solution to securely communicate sensitive information, verify bank accounts, and ultimately deter fraud."

About RamQuest, Inc

RamQuest, Inc. is a Texas-based corporation that has been serving the title industry since 1991. As the provider of the title insurance and settlements industry's most comprehensive solutions, RamQuest products are currently in use for closings in all 50 states. For more information about RamQuest, visit https://ramquest.com/.

About SafeChain

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions. For more information visit https://www.safewire.com/ramquest.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention technology and blockchain applications for land title, announced today its SafeWire application has been fully integrated into RamQuest's Closing Market application - making SafeWire available as a seamless experience to title offices nationwide.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

Texan Title Taps SafeWire by SafeChain to Provide Protection Against Wire Fraud

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Texan Title has chosen SafeWire(TM) to defend its clients' wire transactions against fraud. The blockchain-backed platform will be deployed across Texan Title's family of title companies located across Texas, including South Land Title, Prominent Title, Washington County Abstract, Guaranty Title Company of Grimes County and Security Title.

"As Texan Title seeks to drive more robust growth, we are also keenly aware of maintaining the security and integrity of our clients' transactions," said Todd Purifoy, Chief Information Officer at Texan Title. "To that end, as we seek to leverage blockchain throughout all of our operations, SafeWire was the clear choice for helping us prevent wire fraud and protect our clients' funds, as it is the industry's only wire fraud prevention platform leveraging blockchain today."

SafeWire enables title agents to conduct identity verification and account ownership authentication on both the buyer and seller in the real estate transaction to prevent wire transfers to unauthorized parties and/or accounts. As an added safeguard, the platform uses blockchain technology to securely store and transmit wiring instructions, thus circumventing the major source of wire fraud today -- business email compromise schemes.

"For growth-minded title agencies, addressing fraud must be at the top of their list of concerns," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "Having fully embraced the power of blockchain across its organization, Texan Title represents the future of our industry -- innovation-friendly, technology-focused, security-minded title agencies committed to using any and all means at their disposal to improve operations and protect their clients throughout the home buying and selling process."

About SafeChain

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit https://www.safechain.io.

About Texan Title

Texan Title Holdings is the parent company of a family of independent, local, homegrown title agencies, with more than 20 offices licensed in 38 Texas counties. While having a large presence in Texas, our title agencies are still local enough to provide professional service with a personal touch. Our expert teams are committed to ensuring the success of every transaction, regardless of the location of the property. The Texan Title family of companies has access to experienced real estate attorneys, title examiners and escrow officers in Abilene, Austin, Brenham, the Houston metroplex and Bryan/College Station. As independent title agents, we have the ability to write title insurance for multiple underwriters, giving us the flexibility to ensure your transaction closes quickly and smoothly. For more information, visit https://www.texantitleholdings.com.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Texan Title has chosen SafeWire(TM) to defend its clients' wire transactions against fraud. The blockchain-backed platform will be deployed across Texan Title's family of title companies located across Texas.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

Michigan-Based Liberty Title Deploys SafeWire to Protect Against Wire Fraud

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Liberty Title, the fourth largest independent title company in Michigan, has selected SafeWire(TM) to safeguard wiring instructions as part of the firm's "Umbrella by Liberty Title" program.

Consumers that choose Liberty Title to close both sides of their transaction are automatically enrolled in the program and receive protection that extends to their real estate agent and lender through every phase of the closing process.

"With wire fraud and identity theft continuing to plague real estate transactions, we launched our Umbrella program to provide our customers with peace of mind that their funds and identities are protected throughout the closing process," said Michele Richardson, President at Liberty Title. "SafeWire plays a critical role in helping Liberty Title deliver pre-closing protection to our customers by providing a secure, blockchain-backed portal through which we can communicate wiring instructions, and we are delighted to partner with SafeChain to help ensure our customers' transactions remain fraud-free from start to finish."

SafeWire provides title agents with the ability to verify the identities of both the buyer and seller in the transaction and authenticate bank account ownership to ensure funds are transferred to authorized parties and accounts. In addition, the platform utilizes blockchain technology to securely store and transmit wiring instructions for real estate transactions, preventing fraudsters from intercepting and tampering with transaction data.

"Title agencies cannot be too cautious or too careful when it comes to preventing wire fraud, and we firmly support efforts like 'Umbrella by Liberty Title' that seek to provide the highest levels of transaction security and protection possible," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "With this program, Liberty Title has made a firm declaration regarding its commitment to shielding consumers from harm in the homebuying process, and we encourage all title agencies to adopt a similar pledge to help collectively stamp out real estate wire fraud."

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit https://www.safechain.io.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Liberty Title, the fourth largest independent title company in Michigan, has selected SafeWire(TM) to safeguard wiring instructions as part of the firm's "Umbrella by Liberty Title" program.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

SafeChain Announces Founding Title Partners in Blockchain Network

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, in partnership with 9 independent title agents in Ohio, has launched a blockchain-backed network that enables peer-to-peer transfers of prior title insurance policies to streamline the title search process and drive down costs for member agencies.

The new network allows independent agents to share prior policies, rewarding contributing agents for policies accessed. Agents have the ability to set the price of their policies as well as customize which underwriters and agents they want to view in their search results. While member agents will maintain governance of the network upon completion, SafeChain will act as the network operator while the project is being built and will gradually relinquish control over to independent agents over the course of the next few years.

"The future of technology in title is driven by the independent title agent. Using world-class software and a new way of thinking about partnerships, we can create a better experience for consumers. It's not a fierce competition, but working together in the best interest of our customers that will allow the industry to redefine how it operates," said Tony Franco, CEO of SafeChain.

Created by and for independent agents the goal of the network is to unlock unrealized value that prior policies can provide. With the network, independent agents will be able to protect their intellectual property, search work programmatically and set the price should they choose to share with other partners of the network.

The initial agent group is set with the task of establishing governance, fees, and network upgrades. Founding members include:

* Jonathan Holfinger - COO/Principal of Northwest Title
* Scott Stevenson - CEO/Principal of Northwest Title
* Ryan Marrie - President of Ohio Real Title
* Sean Stoner - President and CEO of Title First
* Jeff Meyer - Owner of Clean Title Agency, Columbia Title Agency, WIN Title Agency and Leadership Title Company
* Jim Janson - President of Chicago Title of Northeast Ohio
* Kevin Blum - President of Erie Title
* Kelley Sauerzopf - Co-Owner of World Class Title
* Tim Leehan - Partner of Venture Land Title
* John Dyer - President of Nova Title

"We have taken an active interest in learning about what blockchain technology can provide to the title industry, and this project seems to be the most valuable use case for title agents to date," Holfinger said. "We are excited to be part of a project that both shares and protects our work product, increases consumers' access to re-issue credit, and lowers our search costs."

"In the past technology was driven by the title plants and underwriters -- both of which are traditionally slow to adopt new technologies based on their current market lead. It makes way more sense to have independent agents driving change in the industry, and I am eager to work with our partners in Ohio to improve our technical capabilities," added Marrie.

Independent title agents can sign up to learn more at https://www.safechain.io/prior-policy-network.

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit https://www.safechain.io.

SafeChain, in partnership with 9 independent title agents in Ohio, has launched a blockchain-backed network that enables peer-to-peer transfers of prior title insurance policies to streamline the title search process and drive down costs for member agencies.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

SafeChain Partners with Adeptive to Provide Fraud-Free Closings for ResWare Customers

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, an industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain applications for land title, announced today that Adeptive Software has integrated SafeWire into ResWare, Adeptive's powerful title and escrow production software.

"Wire fraud is not a problem that can be tackled alone. It takes a concerted effort from everyone involved to take on an issue that keeps on growing," said Tony Franco, CEO at SafeChain. "We know that seamless integrations are important for title professionals, and with this integration, they no longer have to leave the ResWare environment to prevent wire fraud. Teaming up with Adeptive is a significant step forward to bring peace of mind during one of the largest transactions in a person's lifetime."

SafeWire protects real estate wire transactions by verifying the identity of both the buyer and seller and authenticating ownership of the accounts involved in the transaction. Backed by blockchain technology, SafeWire also provides a secure portal to transmit and store wiring instructions, ensuring that this information cannot be tampered with or intercepted by unauthorized parties.

"We are focused on enabling our customers to be as efficient and productive as possible providing integrations, where they make sense, to enhance the transaction process. Integrating with SafeChain aligns with our focus to seamlessly connect while securing against cyber threats," said Adeptive Software President Bryan Buus.

About Adeptive Software:

Independently-owned and operated, Adeptive Software was founded in 2003 and develops the powerful ResWare title and escrow production platform. ResWare is a sophisticated, yet flexible solution providing workflow automation, custom configuration, a secure collaboration portal, and numerous partner integrations that enable clients to be more productive, efficient, and adaptable. With the ResWare platform and Adeptive's experienced staff, Adeptive helps transform businesses by empowering them to grow their top line, enhance customer offerings, plan for the future, and thus transform their business overall. Learn more at https://www.adeptivesw.com.

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit https://www.safechain.io.

SafeChain, an industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain applications for land title, announced today that Adeptive Software has integrated SafeWire into ResWare, Adeptive's powerful title and escrow production software.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

Major Utah Title Agency Cottonwood Title Selects SafeWire from SafeChain

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Cottonwood Title Insurance Agency, Inc., one of the largest independent title agencies in Utah, has adopted SafeWire(TM) to protect the wire transactions facilitated by its agents across the Wasatch Front.

"At Cottonwood Title, we pride ourselves on our speed, accuracy and ability to close transactions on schedule, but equally as important to us is ensuring that our clients' funds do not fall into the wrong hands," said Cort Ashton, vice president of escrow at Cottonwood Title. "SafeWire provides our customers with peace of mind in knowing their wire transactions are protected without impacting the excellent service our customers and partners expect."

Leveraging both bank-grade authentication and blockchain technology, SafeWire uses this technology to prevent fraudsters from interfering with real estate wire transactions. Through the platform, title agents can verify the identities of both the buyer and seller in the transaction, as well as securely store and transmit wiring instructions to prevent fraudsters from intercepting and tampering with this information. In addition, title agents can authenticate ownership of the buyer's and seller's respective bank accounts to ensure funds are being sent to and received by authorized parties

"The pace at which real estate wire fraud is increasing has far outstripped the industry's ability to address the issue through traditional means," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "Technology like SafeWire is the industry's best hope at stopping wire fraud in its tracks, and proactive title agencies like Cottonwood Title are really leading the way for the industry in terms of implementing solutions to address this issue."

About SafeChain:
SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit: https://www.safechain.io.

About Cottonwood Title:
Since 2000, Cottonwood Title has provided professional title and escrow services for homeowners and investors throughout Utah. With six offices across the Wasatch Front, our premium services are available to over 2 million people. We're known for the personal relationships we develop, and our proprietary process helps us move quickly and close transactions with accuracy and on schedule. For more information, visit https://www.cottonwoodtitle.com.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Cottonwood Title Insurance Agency, Inc., one of the largest independent title agencies in Utah, has adopted SafeWire(TM) to protect the wire transactions facilitated by its agents across the Wasatch Front.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

SafeChain Collaborates with Accuity to Secure Real Estate Wire Transfers

EVANSTON, Ill. /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that it has integrated bank data from Accuity, the leading provider of financial crime compliance, payments and Know Your Customer (KYC) solutions, to enhance the security of real estate transactions. SafeChain's wire fraud prevention platform, SafeWire(TM), now incorporates information from the Accuity Bankers Almanac Routing and Transit Number (RTN) File, to give users greater confidence that funds are being wired to the correct account.

"As wire fraud schemes increase in both number and complexity, it is critical for title companies to authenticate and verify every aspect of the wire transaction to ensure consumers' funds are protected throughout," said SafeChain CEO and Co-founder Tony Franco. "The integration between SafeWire and Accuity, the Official Registrar of ABA Routing Numbers, provides additional peace of mind to all parties in a real estate transaction by ensuring the authenticity and accuracy of routing information and adding an additional safeguard against wire fraud."

Now, when wire instructions are sent to SafeWire, users can leverage the Accuity payments data to verify that all necessary routing information for the transaction is present and correct. In addition to SafeWire's current ABA and intermediary verification checks, the Accuity integration will make it easier for the consumer when an intermediary institution is needed to complete a wire transfer. Rather than relying on the consumer to gather the intermediary's routing information, Accuity will now collect and verify the information automatically and report it to the title company via SafeWire.

"Wire fraud in real estate transactions is one of the fastest growing cybercrimes in the United States, and the closing process, in particular, requires closer scrutiny of transactions," said Sarkis Akmakjian, Senior Director of Product Management at Accuity. "Bankers Almanac Routing and Transit Number File significantly reduces operational risk by ensuring the integrity of the payment origination data. We are pleased that SafeChain is working with us to optimize and reinforce the safety of its payments processes."

About Accuity:

Accuity offers a suite of innovative solutions for payments and compliance professionals, from comprehensive data and software that manage risk and compliance, to flexible tools that optimize payments pathways. With deep expertise and industry-leading data-enabled solutions from the Fircosoft, Bankers Almanac and NRS brands, our portfolio delivers protection for individual and organizational reputations.

Part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries, Accuity has been delivering solutions to banks and businesses worldwide for 180 years. For more information visit: https://accuity.com.

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit: https://www.safechain.io.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that it has integrated bank data from Accuity, the leading provider of financial crime compliance, payments and Know Your Customer (KYC) solutions, to enhance the security of real estate transactions.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

One of the Largest Independent Title Companies in Texas Expands Use of SafeWire to All 25 Offices

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Providence Title, one of the largest independent title companies in Texas, has expanded its deployment of SafeWire(TM) to include all 25 offices throughout the state. Moving forward, Providence Title's network of agents will use SafeWire to verify the identities of transaction participants, authenticate bank account ownership as well as securely store and transmit wiring instructions.

"Trust is paramount to the real estate transaction, and with wire fraud continuing to threaten our industry, we needed to do everything in our power to help our customers' ensure their transactions are secure," said Dan Foster, CEO of Providence Title. "Combatting wire fraud has been a major initiative for us, and SafeChain was the best partner we could have chosen to help us achieve our goals. Every title company needs to move to a platform like this."

SafeWire ensures the integrity and security of real estate wire transactions. The platform leverages bank-level authentication and blockchain technology to prevent unauthorized parties from taking part in the transaction, tampering with transaction information or intercepting wire funds.

While business email compromise (BEC) schemes - the most common method of committing wire fraud - are on the rise across all industries, the real estate sector has been a particular area of focus for fraudsters. According to FBI data, from June 2016 to May 2018 real estate BEC schemes resulted in more than $1.6 billion in losses in the U.S. As government agencies consider regulatory changes to address the growing problem, such as requiring payee matching for all wire transactions, title companies have turned to platforms like SafeWire, which already includes payee matching, for a more immediate solution.

"Wire fraud isn't going away, and if the real estate industry continues to rely on antiquated technology and processes, the easier it becomes for fraudsters to hijack these transactions," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "SafeChain firmly believes in the power of technology and education to address this issue, and we're increasingly seeing title agents buy in to this shared vision, with companies like Providence Title paving the way for their peers."

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence.

For more information visit: https://www.safechain.io.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Providence Title, one of the largest independent title companies in Texas, has expanded its deployment of SafeWire(TM) to include all 25 offices throughout the state. Moving forward, Providence Title's network of agents will use SafeWire to verify the identities of transaction participants, authenticate bank account ownership as well as securely store and transmit wiring instructions.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

SafeChain Digitizes Property Deed Transfer and Conveyance for Perry County, Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today it has completed the digital conversion of Perry County, Ohio's deed transfer and conveyance process between the engineer and auditor. Beginning January 7, the Perry County Engineer's office will be able to digitize property deeds before the inspection and mapping process.

Moving forward, each deed will receive a digital stamp backed by blockchain for added transparency and security, eliminating the need for physical authorization. The deeds will then be electronically transferred to the county Auditor's office for conveyance.

"As public servants, our top priority is to ensure that we operate as efficiently as possible to best serve our constituents - regardless of the size of our jurisdiction," said Perry County Auditor Drew Cannon. "By working with SafeChain and the Perry County Engineer to modernize our operations and eliminate the need for a physical stamp, we've completed a key step for a 100 percent digital deed transfer and conveyance process. Through this project, we are providing transparency for property owners about their deed status, while also increasing our operational efficiency."

Perry County marks another successful public-private partnership in which SafeChain has worked with local government officials to utilize the latest technology to transact property more efficiently. Its second successfully executed use case was deed issuance with Franklin County, Ohio. SafeChain's previous endeavors also include its commercial wire fraud product, SafeWire(TM). With the completion of the Perry County project, SafeChain has, for the third time, leveraged blockchain to positively impact the real estate transfer process, representing significant progress on Ohio's goal to transfer all real property using blockchain.

"When SafeChain entered the real estate industry, we knew that tackling the industry's biggest challenges in both the public and private sectors was the only way to truly innovate a process that has existed for hundreds of years," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "Perry County is a great example of how innovation comes from across the state and isn't limited to metropolitan jurisdictions. By eliminating these physical and analog processes, SafeChain is excited to continue partnering with forward-thinking elected officials to improve the taxpayer experience of transacting property."

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence.

For more information visit: https://www.safechain.io/.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today it has completed the digital conversion of Perry County, Ohio's deed transfer and conveyance process between the engineer and auditor. Beginning January 7, the Perry County Engineer's office will be able to digitize property deeds before the inspection and mapping process.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

Ohio’s Largest Title Agent Selects SafeWire by SafeChain

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Ohio Real Title, the largest title agent in the state, has selected its technology solution, SafeWire(TM), to securely facilitate real estate wire transactions for the firm's eight offices throughout Ohio.

"Wire fraud is one of the biggest threats to the homebuying process today. We believe it's our job to protect consumers in what is one of the largest financial transactions they'll ever undertake," said Ryan Marrie, president of Ohio Real Title. "Partnering with SafeChain provides Ohio Real Title's real estate agent partners the confidence in knowing we care about their clients' funds from the minute they begin the homebuying process."

SafeWire protects real estate wire transactions by verifying the identity of both the buyer and seller and authenticating ownership of the accounts involved in the transaction. Backed by blockchain technology, SafeWire also provides a secure portal to transmit and store wiring instructions, ensuring that this information cannot be tampered with or intercepted by unauthorized parties. As an added layer of security, SafeChain is also integrating the national ALTA Registry into SafeWire so that lenders can verify the identity of title insurance agents and settlement companies involved in the transaction.

"According to the FBI, wire fraud attempts have increased more than 11,000 percent over the last two years. By using SafeWire, Ohio Real Title has demonstrated its commitment to combating this growing risk and safeguarding consumers' funds," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "Ohio Real Title is one of the more progressive title agents in the country, and as a fellow Ohio-based company, SafeChain is especially eager to help our state's largest title agent neutralize this threat for homebuyers in our own backyard."

About Ohio Real Title:

Ohio Real Title was founded in 2005 and is an independent title agent servicing all of Ohio. With more than 100 employees and eight offices, Ohio Real Title processes more purchase transactions than any other independent title agent in Ohio. For more information visit: http://www.ohiorealtitle.com.

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and modernizes operations for both the public and private sectors of the land title industry. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the home buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers, realtors and local governments decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers.

Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of real estate closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit: https://www.safechain.io/.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software and blockchain implementation for land title, announced today that Ohio Real Title, the largest title agent in the state, has selected its technology solution, SafeWire(TM), to securely facilitate real estate wire transactions for the firm's eight offices throughout Ohio.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

SafeChain Named Outstanding Startup by Columbus Business First at 2018 BizTech Awards

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software for land title, announced today that it was honored in the Outstanding Startup category at the 2018 BizTech Awards hosted by regional business publication Columbus Business First. The firm was one of three companies honored in the Outstanding Startup category of the fourth annual BizTech Awards.

"Columbus has been an exceptional location to launch SafeChain, and we are truly honored to have been recognized by Columbus Business First amongst the dozens of impressive technology firms in the Columbus area," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "The level of talent and local support for startups has been instrumental in SafeChain's early success, and we take great pride in our part in making Columbus a growing hub for innovation and entrepreneurship."

SafeChain was recognized for its wire fraud prevention platform SafeWire(TM) to secure real estate wire transfers, which leverages blockchain technology, as well as its work with the Franklin County Auditor's Office. In addition to helping the Auditor's Office complete the first blockchain-backed real estate transaction in the U.S., SafeChain continues to work the Auditor's Office to modernize the jurisdiction's record keeping by migrating the county's property records to blockchain.

"There are so many more applications for blockchain than simply cryptocurrency, and the real estate industry is a prime example of how this technology can improve a process that's nearly as old as the country itself," said SafeChain CTO and Co-Founder Robert Zwink. "Blockchain helps create a more secure and streamlined property transfer process, which enables real estate professionals to be more efficient and fulfill their ultimate purpose, which is to guide buyers and sellers through this highly complex and momentous transaction."

Columbus Business First launched the BizTech Awards to keep up the tradition of recognizing promising startups, entrepreneurs and innovations in Columbus. The event has been growing alongside the region's booming tech sector, and according to the publication, this year's award received a record number of nominations and an outstanding group of nominees.

To view the honorees of all of the 2018 BizTech Awards categories, visit https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/biztech-awards.

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and simpler. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers and realtors decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit https://www.safechain.io/.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software for land title, announced today that it was honored in the Outstanding Startup category at the 2018 BizTech Awards hosted by regional business publication Columbus Business First. The firm was one of three companies honored in the Outstanding Startup category of the fourth annual BizTech Awards.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

SafeChain Adds Blockchain to SafeWire to Further Safeguard Real Estate Wire Transactions

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software for land title, announced today it has added blockchain to its wire fraud prevention platform SafeWire(TM), making the company the first in the industry to do so. The addition of blockchain to SafeWire provides increased security for real estate wire transactions by ensuring fraudsters cannot tamper with wiring instructions undetected.

"SafeChain is committed to stamping out wire fraud in the real estate industry," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "By coupling an ultra-secure, distributed ledger with SafeWire's identity verification and bank-level authentication technology, we have made the real estate wire transaction significantly more difficult to hack, thus providing home buyers, title companies and real estate agents additional assurance that their transaction is as fraud-free as possible."

The SafeWire platform safeguards real estate wire transactions by verifying participants' identities and account ownership and providing a secure portal to transmit wiring instructions. With blockchain, SafeWire now offers a tamper-proof storage mechanism for wiring instructions that notifies users immediately if an unauthorized party attempts to alter the instructions.

"Today, real estate wire fraud is being perpetrated primarily through business email compromise schemes, where fraudsters spoof the email accounts of legitimate participants to fraudulently divert funds. However, this won't always be the case, as fraudsters become more sophisticated in their attempts," said Robert Zwink, CTO and co-founder of SafeChain. "Blockchain provides the most advanced data security available today, and adding this element to SafeWire ensures that our customers' transactions are secure both today and in the future."

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and simpler. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers and realtors decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence.

For more information visit: https://www.safechain.io/.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software for land title, announced today it has added blockchain to its wire fraud prevention platform SafeWire(TM), making the company the first in the industry to do so. The addition of blockchain to SafeWire provides increased security for real estate wire transactions by ensuring fraudsters cannot tamper with wiring instructions undetected.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

SafeChain to Integrate ALTA Registry into Its Real Estate Wire Fraud Prevention Platform SafeWire

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software for land title, announced today that it will integrate the national ALTA Registry into its real estate wire fraud prevention platform SafeWire. Through the integration, mortgage lenders will be able to search the Registry and verify the identity of title insurance agents and settlement companies, providing an enhanced level of efficiency and security to the real estate transaction.

"The national ALTA Registry is a unique real estate utility created specifically for mortgage lenders," said Paul Martin, ALTA's Registry director. "We're pleased to offer this tool to SafeChain as it looks to deliver innovative products to its customers. The emergence of the ALTA Registry as an effective and easy to use source of data and information comes at the perfect time to help counter the alarming increase in wire fraud."

ALTA launched the ALTA Registry in 2017 as the first national database of title insurance agents and settlement companies. In addition to contact information and branch locations for agents and title companies, each ALTA Registry listing also includes a title agent or real estate attorney's unique seven-digit ALTA ID. As most real estate wire fraud schemes involve spoofing the identity of the title and/or settlement agent involved in transaction, the ability to verify the identity of these individuals using the ALTA ID and contact information contained within the ALTA Registry provides added assurance that lenders are interacting with legitimate parties to the transaction.

"With wire fraud on the rise, everyone in the real estate transaction - lenders included - must increase their level of vigilance to maintain the integrity of the process," said Tony Franco, SafeChain co-founder and CEO. "Integrating the ALTA Registry ALTA ID into SafeWire enhances the level of security we're able to provide to all parties, bringing us one step closer to completely eliminating fraud in the wire transfer process."

Learn more about the ALTA Registry by visiting https://www.altaidregistry.org/.

About ALTA:

The American Land Title Association, founded in 1907, is a national trade association representing more than 6,200 title insurance companies, title and settlement agents, independent abstracters, title searchers, and real estate attorneys. ALTA members conduct title searches, examinations, closings, and issue title insurance that protects real property owners and mortgage lenders against losses from defects in titles.

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and simpler. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers and realtors decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit http://www.safechain.io.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software for land title, announced today that it will integrate the national ALTA Registry into its real estate wire fraud prevention platform SafeWire. Through the integration, mortgage lenders will be able to search the Registry and verify the identity of title insurance agents and settlement companies, providing an enhanced level of efficiency and security to the real estate transaction.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

SafeChain Honored as 2018 Seed Stage Company of the Year at VentureOhio Awards

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software for land title, announced today that it was named 2018 Seed Stage Company of the Year by VentureOhio.

SafeChain was recognized for developing SafeWire, an innovative platform that implements a combination of identity verification and bank-grade authentication technology to verify ownership of accounts involved in a wire transaction, secure wire transfers and prevent wire fraud. In addition, SafeChain recently concluded the first blockchain backed real estate transaction in partnership with government. SafeChain continues to work the Auditor's Office in Franklin County, Ohio to move the jurisdiction's property records to a new platform fully backed by blockchain technology.

As a finalist among a highly competitive group of seed-stage company applicants, SafeChain was selected as the winner in its category by a panel of 22 expert judges and honored at the fifth annual Venture Dinner.

"The awards event brought together over 700 investors, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and elected officials to review the success of the Ohio entrepreneurial ecosystem and encourage statewide collaboration," said Falon Donohue, CEO of VentureOhio.

"It's an honor to be recognized as 2018 Seed Stage Company of the Year," said Tony Franco, CEO and co-founder of SafeChain. "Ohio is home to a thriving ecosystem of technical innovation and forward-thinking entrepreneurship, and we are proud to contribute to the growth of the state's business community by building out the next generation of real estate security and records systems backed by blockchain technology."

To view the winners of all of the VentureOhio Awards categories, visit https://ventureohio.org.

About VentureOhio:

VentureOhio is an Ohio non-profit which aims to improve access to capital and foster collaboration in the startup community. For more information visit https://ventureohio.org.

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and simpler. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers and realtors decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers.

Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence. For more information visit http://www.safechain.io.

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software for land title, announced today that it was named 2018 Seed Stage Company of the Year by VentureOhio.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/

SafeChain Completes First Official Real Estate Blockchain Transaction in the U.S.

COLUMBUS, Ohio /ScoopCloud/ -- SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software for land title, announced today it has successfully facilitated the sale of 36 forfeiture properties via blockchain. The transactions, which were completed on Tuesday in partnership with the auditor's office in Franklin County, Ohio, marks the first instance in the U.S. of a state government using blockchain to legally record the transfer of property deeds.

"To have Franklin County lead the nation in blockchain adoption for real estate transactions is one of the crowning achievements of my tenure as Auditor, but this transaction is just the beginning," Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo said. "Too often, government services are inefficient and out-of-touch with current technology, resulting in wasted tax dollars and a poor experience. The constituents of Franklin County deserve better, which is why the Auditor's Office has set a goal to move 100 percent of Franklin County's property records to blockchain and begin testing the technology to decentralize all county records and systems to create a more streamlined, efficient and secure process for delivering these services to the local community."

The recorded properties were sold at auction by the auditor's office. After the deeds are awarded to the winning bidders, all relevant property information is transferred to blockchain and assigned a barcode, which is then attached to the deed so that the property's information can be accessed via blockchain.

"Blockchain will transform the real estate industry. There's no doubt about it, and the earlier entities get on board, the more they stand to gain in terms of security and efficiency," said Tony Franco, CEO of SafeChain. "Starting with something as relatively straightforward as property transfers, blockchain creates a decentralized, near-perfect audit trail that can never be lost or stolen. Eliminating that risk opens the door to completely changing how properties are bought and sold in the U.S., and those changes will ultimately be to the consumer's benefit, as well as the real estate industry's as well."

In addition to its partnership with Franklin County, SafeChain is also working with officials in Washington and Perry counties as part of a larger, state-wide push to adopt blockchain. In June 2018, Ohio state legislators signed Senate Bill 220 into law, which added blockchain as a legally-recognized electronic transaction in the state.

As Ohio House Speaker Ryan Smith noted in an August 23, 2018 article for The Columbus Dispatch, "This is so new and just starting to take shape that we can position Ohio out front and, most importantly put it out in a way that gives our kids...an opportunity to stay in Ohio and not have the brain drain to the West Coast. It's a great opportunity for Ohio to really start the economic engine on a different perspective."

"As an Ohio-based company, we are deeply invested in not only making Ohio a top-of-mind destination for top technology talent, but we are also honored to help lead the charge to make Ohio one of the most technologically-advanced states in the nation," Robert Zwink, CTO of SafeChain said. "In addition to moving property records to blockchain, we're also working with title companies to eliminate wire fraud in real estate transactions using our platform SafeWire, thus adding an additional layer of security and efficiency to the real estate process."

About SafeChain:

SafeChain makes real estate transactions safer and simpler. Built by real estate title experts in collaboration with banking technologists, SafeChain tackles the inefficiencies of the buying and selling process from the inside-out to help title companies, mortgage bankers and realtors decrease costs and deliver a better experience for customers. Leveraging the most advanced technologies, including blockchain, SafeChain increases the speed and security of closings to deliver faster transactions and better consumer confidence.

For more information visit: https://www.safechain.io/.

*VIDEO (YouTube):
https://youtu.be/0x6JVvd9g-E

SafeChain, the industry leader in wire fraud prevention software for land title, announced today it has successfully facilitated the sale of 36 forfeiture properties via blockchain. The transactions, which were completed on Tuesday in partnership with the auditor's office in Franklin County, Ohio, marks the first instance in the U.S. of a state government using blockchain to legally record the transfer of property deeds.

Related link: https://www.safechain.io/