It's not so much a scam as it is a service you don't really need and it comes at a price.

Imperial County Clerk/Recorder Chuck Storey warns property owners that they may become targets of opportunistic companies who will get you a copy of your property deed , at a price. A price significantly higher that what the Clerk/Recorders office charges. A recent letter from one such company offered to obtain a complimentary copy of your Grant Deed and a Property Assessment Profile for a fee of $86.00. The property assessment profile is easily obtained on the internet and serves no useful purpose while a Certified Copy of your recorded deed is available from the Clerk/Recorders office for a fee of $3.50. A non-certified copy is just $2.50. The third party company that wants to charge you $86.00 must get the copy of the grant deed from Storey's office. According to Storey , " Many of the services provided by the Clerk/Recorder are being offered on the internet for costs that far exceed the costs that the County would collect." Storey said that citizens should contact the Clerk/Recorders office on how to obtain records of Imperial County events such as births , deaths , marriage or official records. Individuals who have received a record of this type that is not originally certified by the County Clerk/Recorder or , in the case of vital records not on security banknote paper and certified by the Clerk/Recorders office should notify law enforcement or Storey's office.