NEWS FLASH - Beware of Deed Scam!

Yesterday I received a notice in the mail regarding the deed to my home. It supposedly came from the National Deed Service, Inc. in Washington, D.C. It stated that The U.S. Government Federal Citizen Information Center website recommended that property owners should have an official or certified copy of their deed. I could either send a payment of $59.50 or I could fill out the credit card information below and mail or fax my order. It also stated that due to the large number of transactions, this would be my only notice of their service.

Please Beware! The letter that is sent had my property deed number and the date it was recorded. This information is public record and is not difficult for a scam artist to get (or anyone else for that matter).

I questioned the need for anything like this because I received all my documentation at the time of closing and a letter a few weeks later when the deed had been recorded.

I am reporting this letter to the United States Post Office because I did receive it in the mail. I will also be reporting this to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Save your money if you receive a letter like this one. If you are concerned about your deed, contact the title company you closed at when you purchased your home or refinanced. You can also visit the county clerks office to receive a copy of the deed/mortgage recording on your home and the cost for the paperwork will be much less than $59.50.

This scam is not just happening in the Indianapolis area. Mike Kelly from the Real Estate Show spoke about this problem happening in California recently too.