YSK snail mail scams still exist

Why YSK: I recently bought a house. That kind of transaction is subject to public record and has a good amount of information attached (my new address, full name, closing date, loan amount, and mortgage provider at least from what I've noticed), so it's a prime target for a snail mail scam.

I've gotten multiple "we've been trying to reach you about your car house's extended warranty" letters almost every day since I moved in. They all prominently feature my mortgage provider's name (with a bit of very fine print at the bottom saying that they aren't affiliated.) I'll admit that I didn't immediately clock them as scam letters when I first opened one because I wasn't used to scam attempts in physical letters (and the homebuying process meant I was getting a good amount of important mail that looked similar.) Luckily I noticed the fine print and connected the dots before calling.

This was my first time getting a lot of scam snail mail, but I'd imagine there are other situations where this happens (probably any sort of situation that puts your address in public records.)

The advice for dealing with this kind of letter is similar to the advice for digital scams: if you know it's a scam, throw it away (you knew that). If you think it may be legit, google the contact information before taking action. If you think it may still be from someone you trust but aren't sure, look up their number on your own instead of using the one on the letter.

Stay safe!

reddit.com
u/Leelubell — 1 day ago

Where to donate books

Hello! I have a bunch of “old” textbooks (not antiques but most of them probably have new editions by now)

Mostly electrical engineering and computer science

Is there anywhere in town that takes donations of this kind of thing?

reddit.com
u/Leelubell — 21 days ago

What’s the deal with the $600 HOA fee on this house?

The house itself is pretty cheap, but if you do a 30 year mortgage with 20% down (all pretty standard) the HOA fee will be more than half of your mortgage. Typical HOA fees are usually closer to $100. What could they possibly be doing with all that money?

(Not looking to buy, just curious)

zillow.com
u/Leelubell — 2 months ago

Why would my checks have a blank spot for account number at the top if the account number is already printed on the bottom?

I haven’t really payed with a check before but I need to use one for a specific payment. Luckily I still have a couple that they gave me when I opened my bank account forever ago. I got it all filled out, but there’s a spot (in the top left corner, under a spot for my name) that looks like it has an address on every other check but has a blank space for “account no.” on mine. The account number is already printed at the bottom, just like any other check. Does anyone know what that spot is for? Am I good to leave it blank?

reddit.com
u/Leelubell — 2 months ago