PHOENIX — Have you checked your mail recently? You may have seen an official-looking letter asking you for money to receive a property report and document certifying you own your home.
Let ABC15 Know viewer, Cynthia, received such a letter. She called it "too strange!" and worried about how the sender got her information.
The letter was from Records Recovery Services and asks Cynthia for more than $100 for a copy of her deed, validating that her home was actually owned by her.
Letters identical to the one Cynthia received have been mailed to homeowners across the country. A search on Google comes back with several warnings from county officials in various states telling people not to send money to Records Recovery Services.
The letter Cynthia received contains several disclaimers stating that it is not affiliated with a government agency, but if you don't read the letter closely, you could miss them.
The Better Business Bureau has a consumer alert against Records Recovery Services citing a "pattern of complaints" from consumers regarding advertising issues and claiming the letters are misleading, purposefully made to look like an invoice or bill.
Many real estate documents are public record, so companies can search the databases and get consumers' contact and real estate information.
If you receive a letter like this, there's no need to spend hundreds of dollars for a copy of your deed. If you need a copy, you can contact your county government to request one. It will likely cost you a few dollars. If you receive a letter about your property records that seems questionable, contact your local county official to confirm its legitimacy.
For a complete list of website and contact info for county recorder offices around Arizona, click here.
