MILWAUKEE — A new state-wide warning is coming out of Madison after a surge of suspicious mailers regarding home warranties over the last few months. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the Department of Financial Institutions and the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance are all concerned Wisconsinites could fall victim to these fliers.
It looks like a letter you'd normally receive from your home warranty servicer.
"Some of these letters may even include the name of your specific mortgage company and that's to make that solicitation appear more legitimate," Michelle Reinen with DATCP said.
State agencies want consumers to know they shouldn't get tripped up.
"Some use threatening language or unnecessary urgency. That could mean it says 'final notice,' 'immediate response requested,' or that the company 'reserves the right to revoke the consumer's eligibility for service coverage after five days'," Reinen explained.
Reinen said home warranty companies aren't going to send you threatening letters.
"Others appear to be from a government entity, but they don't include any specific details. They could say 'Home Warranty Division' or 'Lender Services'," Reinen said.
Other mailers look like this one below and include a fake check. That's a red flag.
Another one to look out for is a return address. DATCP said if there's no return address, no real contact information and only a phone number, it's likely a fake flier.
"If you are looking at one of these mailers as being legitimate, you go back to your purchase documents to see who your actual warranty provider is," Reinen recommended.
If you think you've received a fake home warranty flier, you can report it here.
