The Washington state Attorney General’s office has issued a warning for seniors who may have been the target of a reverse mortgage scam in the state.
According to the office of Attorney General Rob McKenna, the state Department of Revenue has received complaints from seniors who have been contacted by solicitors they believe are trying to sell reverse mortgages while falsely claiming they work for the state. A number of Washington residents reported solicitors calling themselves “Seniors First,” implied or overtly stated they were working on behalf of state programs.
“The seniors reported that callers asked for personal information such as employment status, income, and age, under the guise of helping them determine whether they qualify for Washington’s property tax relief programs, or for aid and assistance programs for veterans,” the state’s AG’s office reports.
“They reported that the callers then move into selling reverse mortgage programs. Some of the property tax relief information the seniors reportedly received is incorrect. The Department of Revenue and county assessors are concerned the people making these calls are not trained to determine whether seniors qualify for state programs.”
The office notes that Seniors First representatives have stated they never identify themselves as state employees and do not request personal information. Rather, they say provide information about property tax, veterans’ programs and reverse mortgage referrals.
Written by Elizabeth Ecker
