Avoid Certified Scams On Your Property Deed
Everyone hates paying more than they have to for goods and services but the thing that really drives us crazy is being taken by a scam, particularly because scams can almost always be avoided as long as you know what to look for.
But some scams are difficult to avoid until you read an article describing what the scam is because they are not blatant lies that will raise the red flag in the back of your mind and are in fact, partially true.
The article, “Don't pay a lot of money for a ‘certified property deed’” written by Marshall Loeb and posted February 8, 2007 on Yahoo! Finance provides the details of a growing scam and why you should avoid it.
The most successful scams con a person into thinking they need the product or service in order to protect themselves or their finances. This property deed scam accomplishes both of these.
“A property deed is, of course, an important document that notes the transfers of ownership in real estate. You should store your deed in a safe place with other valuable papers.”
Now the scam comes into play when you receive an “official” letter in the mail that stresses the importance of obtaining a “certified” copy of your property deed, as if the one you already have is worthless.
“Chances are it's a scam to get you to buy an unnecessary service that will get you a copy of your deed for a hefty fee. According to Consumer Reports, such letters look official, with companies invoking high-pressure sales tactics to convince you to buy their services at a cost of $80 to $100.”
These letters usually have a trademark symbol stamp on the upper right or left hand corner to look “official,” while claiming that this property deed will ensure you will never have questions about its authenticity.
“But you probably already have a copy of your deed from your closing. And if you don't, it's not hard to get a certified copy yourself. All you have to do is contact your county clerk or registrar's office. You can usually get a certified copy of your deed for less than $10, either by walking into the office or mailing a request.”
It obviously varies by county, so you will have to contact the appropriate office to find out the required fee. But wouldn’t you rather trust your local officials than some random letter from a random company you have never heard of.