Fraud Alert

Deed Scam

We have been receiving more and more calls and emails from homebuyers who, soon after we have handled their real estate closing, receive a notice in the mail warning them of the importance of ordering a copy of their deed. The alleged service offers to obtain the copy of the deed for a fee ranging from $75 to a few hundred dollars. If you receive anything like this, do not respond, do not call and most important, do not provide any personal or payment information. This is a scam.

First off, we provide a copy of your deed as part of your closing package. More important, anyone can view or print a copy of their deed anytime they want for free (in most registries) by visiting the Registry of Deeds website (masslandrecords.com or NHDeeds.com). Therefore, at the very least, whoever is sending the notice is attempting to collect a fee for something you can obtain for free. More alarming, however, is that they often ask for personal information, such as credit card or other payment information.

See the image below. It is a copy of a notice that one of our clients received shortly after purchasing her condo. Fortunately, instead of calling the number or providing any information, she immediately called our office. Scammers are monitoring the recordings at the Registry of Deeds and, when they see a new deed recorded, they often send an official looking notice to the new owner. Because the notice appears official and is sent soon after a closing, many people do not realize that it is a scam.

If you ever receive any type of notice asking you to pay a fee for a copy of a deed or any government or official document, before responding, just give us a call or shoot us an email. We will take a look at no charge and advise you accordingly. Chances are, someone is either looking to take advantage by charging and unnecessary fee, or worse,  looking to steal your personal or credit card information.