When I bought my first house a few weeks ago, the first thing I expected was an invitation to a friend's baby shower and the latest issue of Texas Monthly.

Instead, a few days after I moved my mailbox was crammed with alarming phrases containing letters that initially appeared to be from my mortgage lender and a strange "homestead application form."

The first time I saw her, my heart skipped a beat. I worried that despite my neurotic nightly research and lots of checklists, I had missed one of the dozen of steps it took to get a mortgage.

An ominous "ATTENTION: FINAL NOTES" sounded from an envelope. "INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR MORTGAGE."

"Enclosed important personal and confidential information," yelled another next to a "case number".

Many of the letters included my name, the name of my mortgage company, and the amount of my loan. As I searched the stack, I found evidence that the senders may not be who I thought they were at first sight, or worse, scammers.

Tippoffs: bright pink letters, mismatched fonts, and return envelopes with strange addresses.

Some of the letters were from legitimate companies that followed the rules with paragraphs saying they were not affiliated with any credit institution. But when I mentioned the name of my mortgage company on their records above, I thought at first that the messages were coming from there. And in some cases the disclaimers were in small print and placed at the bottom.

The homestead application form, which offered a "Homestead Name" for $ 35, made me pause the most.

It looked like it could be official. The document asked for a lot of information, had sections of the state constitution and property law printed on the back, and had a stamped date by which he was due to respond. There was a web address to fill it in online.

At first, I assumed it was a homestead exemption that reduced property taxes by allowing homeowners to tax only a percentage of their home value. Why should I refuse?

Then at the top and below the fields to be filled in I noticed the disclaimers that said the homestead's expulsion is not a tax exemption for homesteads and the form is not an official government document.

Apparently, I'm not the only Texan confused by this shape.

Attorney General Ken Paxton published a press release in 2018 warning homeowners to watch out for "misleading letters" as exceptions are available free of charge through the counties.

By this point, the consumer protection department of his office had received more than 100 complaints from property owners who received the forms and in some cases sent money back.

"I urge anyone who has received a 'homestead' request that they believe is deceptive to call my office consumer helpline at 800-621-0508 and report it," Paxton said.

New homeowners are often inundated with letters, phone calls and texts – sometimes with junk from verifiable companies, but also with messages from scammers posing as lenders, title companies or real estate agents.

"They often confuse the buyer – mixed messages," said Jason Meza, San Antonio regional director for the Better Business Bureau.

Several examples are on the rise: fake utility bills that threaten to turn off electricity if payment is not made, fake property tax payment notices, and third-party providers helping homeowners pay off their mortgages faster by sending bimonthly payments with administration fees pinned.

There are companies that sell legitimate products and some that charge fees for services that consumers can actually use for free. But scammers are trying to scare homeowners into buying fake policies and warranties, Meza said.

Wire fraud and home improvement fraud have also increased as the housing market exploded during the coronavirus pandemic and homeowners took on renovation projects.

"I tell many of our consumers and homeowners who file complaints never to transfer money outside of the arrangement you have with your title company or broker," he said.

To find out if a business is legitimate, you can search for it on the Better Business Bureau website at BBB.org.

There are also options to reduce the amount of unwanted emails and calls you receive.

The Federal Trade Commission recommends registering on the Direct Marketing Association's consumer website, DMAchoice.org, and choosing which mail and email you want to receive. There is a $ 2 processing fee for 10 year registration.

To opt out of credit card and insurance offers, you can visit optoutprescreen.com or call FTC 888-567-8688. For calling, you can register for the National Do Not Call Registry by visiting donotcall.gov.

"These are services to cut the crowd," Meza said. "It doesn't get rid of them because scammers don't obey the rules. They will do whatever it takes to get your inbox and mailbox. "

Also, keep an eye out for any suspicious text messages. Scammers pretend to be a mortgage or title company and say they are accepting serious money through payment apps like Cash App.

"The proliferation of technology has increased the likelihood of being scammed," he said. "We have opened up so many other channels."

madison.iszler@express-news.net

source https://seapointrealtors.com/2021/08/10/what-san-antonio-homeowners-need-to-know-about-scams-come-ons-and-offers-jamming-their-mailbox/

 This free site is ad-supported. Learn more
​