Certified Deed Scam
By: Nancy | August 28, 2008 | Category: Home and Family
Recently, Gov Gab headquarters, aka the Federal Citizen Information Center, enjoyed a visit from investigative reporter Lisa Robinson from Baltimore's WBAL-TV. She was here to put together a story about one of our office's pet peeves: a consumer scam. We hate it when people try to rip you off and we do everything we can to keep you informed. So we like people, like Lisa, who are looking out for you, too.
One of Lisa's viewers told her about a scam that's been circulating the country. It involves the deed to your home.
Like thousands of people nationwide, this viewer received a letter that looks like this from an official sounding company. It might also come to you in email form. The letter says that the Federal Citizen Information Center recommends that you get a certified copy of the deed to your home. Not sure where to get it? Lucky you—the company will provide it for you for just fifty-nine to eighty-nine bucks, depending on the version of the letter you receive. Oh, and don't forget the $4.50 shipping fee. I guess they photocopy your deed on especially heavy paper or something.
The truth is, we don't endorse that company or their service. You can get a copy of your deed yourself from your county clerk or registrar. In most places it's free or no more than ten bucks.
If you get any offer like this by mail, phone or email that sounds fishy, trust your gut and check it out with us, with your state or local consumer office or attorney general, or with your local consumer or investigative reporter, like Lisa.
Have you gotten one of these letters? What other scams have been hitting your area (or your inbox) lately?
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Comment Permalink | Post a New CommentThomas
Comment Permalink | Post a New CommentThomas, thanks for the reminder about forwarding those IRS scam emails to the "real" IRS!
Comment Permalink | Post a New CommentThanks for the remionders about the IRS Scams, i was most pleased when i got one with a 1-800 phone number and called them, little did they know i was on a 3-way call with IRS Criminal investigation who i called just before. Being an IRS employee, i noticed a slight difference in the Logo and didn't recognize the phone number, and hadd lots of other flags that looked "Semi-official" -- if in doubt, check them out.. all agencies have contact info, and most if not all have websites. Check you phone book too. Make sure the website ends in .Gov; not .org, .com, .biz etc. Although USPS does end in .com ( www.usps.com )
it is illegal to impersonate a government agency or official, but it is not illegal to do for profit what someone else could do on their own or for cheap, just ask thos "Pennies on the Dollar" tax people.... You can do what they do for $45
Comment Permalink | Post a New CommentDiego County Assessor's Office on January 31, 2008.
I received a letter from a company which had a copy of the recorded deed, which notified me that I must apply for a "Homestead Exemption" to protect my the equity in my home. The company wrote that they would complete the application for me for a $40.00, and then I could submit the document to San Diego County. I thought this was questionable, but it had been so long since I owned a home, I decided take them up on their offer.
I did not receive a response after about two weeks after I submitted my personal check. I periodically reviewed my checking account to see if the check cleared. Four weeks went by, and my check cleared, but I still had not received the document. I called their business number and complained, "I am a total and permanent disabled veteran, and I want the 'Homestead' document I paid for.'" They responded that it would be in the mail soon. Two weeks later I received the aforementioned document.
However, I decided not to use it, and went to the County Assessor's office and asked them if I could apply for a "Homestead Exemption." They stated, "Yes you can. Please provide us with a DD-214 Discharge document, and a letter from the
Department of Veterans Affairs, which states you have a service-connected disability rated as total and permananent and further, theat your are eligible for property tax and "Homestead" exemptions. I came prepared with those documents, which the V. A. provided to me weeks before.
The county stated that all I needed to do is to fill out the application, have a county official sign and date it, and then you will have your exemptions recorded in our files from heretofore.
The bottom-line is that I wasted forty dollars by paying 40.00.
famous21
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Comment Permalink | Post a New CommentYou're a real piece of work, you know it. Federal employees do a lot of work you don't see. Apparently you don't notice when you are driving on Federal highways, or not getting sick from bad food that is regulated by the FDA, or not getting scammed by fals advertising because of the FTC. Do you have a bank account? Oh, that would be protected by the FDIC and the United states treasury. So, next time you don't get blown up in a terrorist bombing, or fried in a Nuclear power plant meltdown, or die of cancer from unsafe pesticides, remember me, I'm here making sure a lot of things don't happen. My job, is to make sure you don't notice and can live in your McDonalds Happy Meal playland world.
To Nancy and the other GovGab Bloggers;
Thanks, I enjoy your columns every morning. Even though not all are relevant to me. I always find them full of information, cleverly disguised as a blog.
an appreciative reader and fellow fed
Comment Permalink | Post a New CommentI can tell you how thankful I am for what the people do here on this blog. All they are trying to do is keep us informed. Because of help of one of these bloggers I first learned that a e-mail I received was a scam. Also, one of these bloggers directed me to the right website when I had questions about a noticed I received from the VA. I have few friends who work from local to the federal government. They are some hardest working people that I know. A couple of their jobs I would not do. It seems that they are always under the gun with a new and pressing deadline while having to be on the road away from family and friends.
So this low paid private working sector person wants to say THANK YOU to all the govgabbers. You all are doing a great job.
Thomas
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