Mortgage phishing scam targets Grant County homeowners

Published 1:15 pm Tuesday, January 10, 2023

JOHN DAY — A local financial professional is warning Grant County residents to beware of a new scam targeting homeowners with mortgage loans.

Sandie Gilson, the owner of Land Title Co. of Grant County in John Day, said one of her customers recently received a postcard in the mail that she says was the opening salvo of a mortgage phishing scam.

There is no company name on the postcard, which carries this heading in red capital letters: “IMPORTANT NOTICE: IMMEDIATE RESPONSE NEEDED.”

Addressed to the homeowner by name, the postcard also names the homeowner’s mortgage lender and says, “We need you to call us about an important matter regarding this loan,” followed by a phone number.

Gilson said she believes the postcard is nothing but an attempt to trick a panicky homeowner into disclosing personal financial information that scammers could turn into cash.

“Someone could take out a second mortgage … and (the homeowner) would never know about it,” she said.

Ellen Klem, director of outreach and education for the Oregon Attorney General’s Office, said she hasn’t seen this particular scam, but it has all the hallmarks of fraud, from scary language suggesting a financial emergency to eye-catching colored type. Then there’s the fact that it’s a postcard.

“That’s just not the way a legitimate debt holder is going to reach out,” she said.

Prosecuting scammers can be difficult, Klem said, and even if they are caught and punished, others always seem to sprout up to take their place.

“We as Oregonians need to be vigilant,” she said.

The fact that the scammers have not only the homeowner’s name and address but also the name of their mortgage lender is troubling, Gilson said, because it makes the postcard seem plausible.

“We have not heard of a breach of data anywhere in our system,” Gilson said. “But deeds of trust are public information.”

Deeds of trust, which are used to secure mortgage loans, are public records that provide important information for real estate transactions.

Gilson is worried that some people might be taken in by the scam, especially vulnerable elderly homeowners. She wants people to be on their guard.

“Anything unsolicited about your mortgage should be double-checked with either the title company or the county clerk,” she said.

Gilson said her office has sent notices warning of the scam to all its mortgage holders, as well as to the electronic filing systems it does business with.

“We’re neighbors — we’re part of this community,” Gilson said. “If you’re not watching out for your neighbor, you’re not a good neighbor.”